Dragons and Gryffins and Ravens Oh My!
by EatingKitKatsIsMurder
Summary: If you could choose anyone who would it be? Would it be the famous Harry Potter, the new and charming Terry Boot, one of about a dozen other admirers, or would it be a Malfoy with questionable motives? Ginny has no idea. UPDATE, I MAY OR MAY NOT WRITE A SEQUEL. If would like a sequel, please request one so I don't waste my time writing something when people were perfectly happy.
1. In the Begining

"Ron! Where did you put my broomstick?" Ginny's shout could easily be heard throughout the Burrow; she sounded like a miniature version of her mother scorned.

"I didn't touch it, but if you don't find it soon we're going to miss the train," _gracious, he is nervous today, must be all excited about seeing Hermione again after a long lonely summer without her. For all the hell he gave Percy about Penelope you'd think he wouldn't be so lovey, dovey. She's not even his girlfriend._ This train of thought went on for a while as Ginevra re-searched every inch of her house for the missing broomstick – which was hiding oh so sneakily in the back of a kitchen cupboard.

Finally, with everything packed the Weasley clan clambered into the Ministry provided car, squished themselves into the seats with the typical "Oi, move that stupid owl away from me" "could you be _any_ closer, I mean really" and the ever-classic, "RONALD".

For Ginny platform 9 ¾ could not have arrived soon enough. _Two more years, two more years, then I'll be free. _Not that Ginny didn't love her family, she did, very much; it was just that sometimes having six overprotective brothers was a little much for any girl to handle.

Freedom swallowed the redhead as she burst onto the platform and dashed off to find anyone that wasn't her family,

"Luna, Luna hey," she spouted breathlessly, "How was your summer?"

"Oh, it was alright," the blonde replied dreamily, "Is Harry with you, I've been wanting to talk to him?"

"Umm, yes I think he's over there with my family," _where I left them_. With a slightly dazed sounding:

"thanks Gin, see you at school," Luna dashed off to talk to the famous Harry Potter. Who really wasn't that special. _He isn't even that good looking, I mean, sure I was lured in by the eyes and the scar like everyone else, but really I was eleven. Now Malfoy, there is some forbidden eye candy. _The aforementioned eye candy had just strutted past with that infamous sneer plastered to his face, _oh if only he wasn't complete devil's spawn, jerk, son of a Death Eater, pompous little arse, _Then she might even think about being civil to him. But seeing as he was, she tossed him from her mind and focused on better things such as; hexes, chocolate, and all the eyes that were bound to be staring at her as she made her entrance in the hall that evening. Ahh, the bliss of being popular and having protective; one could get all the attention she craved and never have to worry about one of those boys overstepping any boundaries. Twas perfection.

Seeing as Luna wasn't going to be very good company that particular day, Ginny wondered mindlessly though the train in search of a reasonable compartment mate. She found none; they were either filled with boys who had too many eyes and hands or girls who despised her for being who she was. Popularity wasn't completely perfect you know; sometimes there was trouble in paradise. Carefully she walked past the Slytherin 7th year compartment, practically on tiptoes, just because Malfoy was eye candy it didn't mean she wanted to run into him all alone while he was surrounded by friends – or mindless, droning slaves, whatever you prefer.

It was the hair. What else could give a sneaky, silent, skinny girl away to a bunch of Slytherin's except her blood red hair? Nothing.

"Weaselette, what are you doing here, come to visit?" _stupid voice, just had to sound sexy didn't it, well I am certainly not going to react. _

"Malfoy, how terrible meeting you here, or anywhere really," she placed a well-practiced grin on her face as she watched the sneer slide off of his.

He was lounging like a king in his compartment when he saw that streak of red moving carefully past the foggy glass door. It was just too good to resist; the baby weasel all alone. Sliding open the door he lowered his voice an octave,

"Weaselette, what are you doing here, come to visit?" _look at her face, completely blank, that girl is good at hiding what she feels. What a fabulous game it would be…._

"Malfoy, how terrible meeting you here, or anywhere really," her tone was icy smooth. As she turned to walk away, presumably to sit with her famously annoying friends, he couldn't help but notice her slim, athletic figure as she waltz down the train. She was pretty, but she was the daughter of a no good, slimy blood traitor and sister to the friend of the stupid Harry Potter, _other than that I really have nothing against the girl. Why can't I have a little fun before I leave school? _

Draco calmly sat back down in his compartment and watched his cronies discuss the various reasons why the Weasley family was nothing more than a group of bottom-feeding peasants that deserved to work as slaves to people like the Zabini and Malfoy families.

"Come now, the weaselette isn't all the bad," Draco loved nothing more than being able to play with his friends expressions as if they were clay in his capable hands. Shock registered on every one of them, "You can't be serious", "Sure, she's a bit of a looker but Weasley blood is Weasley blood regardless"

"I was joking you morons," what pliable minds they had, sometimes Draco wished for a bit more of a challenge; someone who didn't hang on his every word and respect him because of his blood and vampire-esk father. Someone very much like the weaselette.

_For goodness sakes, am I going to spend this entire train ride trying to find a compartment? _She was seriously debating humbling herself to go and sit with the golden trio when a door to her left open quietly. Inside was Ravenclaw boy who could easily have competed with Malfoy as far as eye-candy went,

"Looking for a place to sit," _oh goodness his voice is like crème-de-menthe. _

"Um, yes, thank you," her voice had never sounded so shy and quiet.

"Terry Boot's the name, and I guess I know who you are," he glanced quickly at her hair before looking back into her eyes, "You, are the star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and close enough to Harry Potter to get a lighting tattoo, Ginny Weasley,"

"Fantastic," she muttered under her breath, "try to escape from the golden boy and all I can find is his greatest fan and apparently a stalker," his laugher was infectious,

"I'm a chaser as well Ginny, just keeping tabs on the competition is all, besides it's easy to spot the way Harry pays attention to you, he fancies you,"

"Whatever, I got over him years ago,"

"And I am so glad to hear it".


	2. Plots and Plans

"Oh for pities sake Ginny stop fidgeting," Hermione chastised the squirming girl during dinner. Dumbledore had already given his speech and Ginny was trying very hard not to look over her shoulder at the Ravenclaw table ever thirty seconds. Terry Boot was sitting there, calm as a cucumber, free to gaze at her back and she had to sit still and pretend he wasn't there. Not that she was infatuated or obsessed or anything of the sort. He was just, interesting, and nice, and handsome, and chivalrous, and _oh goodness lord I could fall in love if I'm not careful_. Pretending to be looking for Luna, Ginny snuck another peak over her shoulder. There he was, perfection, and he was looking at her with an all too knowing grin upon that charming face. _Damn those blue eyes_, was all she could think because her mind had very suddenly turned into a pile of rainbow mush when he looked at her like that. _Stop it Ginny, stop it right away, he is a boy; you know how to deal with boys_. The look she gave him was nothing more or else than the old as time "come and get me", and when she was walking to her common room that night, he did just that.

The warm arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back into a seemingly empty corridor,

"What was that look for?" he voice was teasing and light,

"Look, what look, I gave no such look, I look that way at everyone, not to say that it was a certain look…" she babbled on, looking all the while at the amusement on Terry's face. He really was handsome.

"Come on, one train ride with me and you can't get enough? I thought you were a little more coy than that, or is the whole, Weasley is untouchable thing, just a myth?" he raised a single eyebrow and Ginny pursued her lips.

"You, Terry Boot, are a common flirt, if you want me you are going to have to work much harder than that," she turned on her heel and marched off with all the authority of Hermione doing homework.

"That can be arranged," he whispered as he watched her storm off.

"What kind of a plan is that Draco?" his friends voice whined,

"What? I want to see if I can do it, that's all, there is nothing else to it, besides isn't manipulation something we Slytherins should be perfecting?" why did he want this so much, he was perfect at manipulating people, no practice was needed, _maybe it's the challenge, or the game or, damnit, something other than that red hair and tiny waist_. She was a Weasley after all, and there were no excuses whatsoever for liking her_. It's playing with the minds of the Fabulous Three, that's got to be it, getting Ginny to like me under their noses is brilliant, nothing like that for sweet revenge_. Yeah, that was the real reason.

This was the year. He was going to tell Ron how he felt about Ginny and that would be that. With Ron's blessing he would ask Ginny on a date and they would be happier than a worm in a rainstorm. _Oh yeah right who am I kidding, Ron protects Ginny like a dragon protects her eggs, no way am I gonna get a shot with her. NO I am going to talk to Ron, no I'm not, yes I am, nope, not gonna do it_. He was truly was troubled as they believed him to be. He just had to screw up his courage and talk to Ron, Ron was his best friend, he would totally be understanding and nice and _I just need to do this before I think about it_,

"Ron," he said cheerily, one making sure they were the only ones left in the common room, Ron grunted in response, "Ron, have you noticed how..umm.. pretty Ginny has been looking lately, I mean, I think the guys are really starting to notice her," he could have babbled on for another hour or so before getting to the point so let's all be pleased when Hermione walked in through the portrait hole carrying a stack of library books and a frown.

"These are so heavy, I swear books gain twenty pounds every year.." she muttered to herself before spotting the boys and stopping Harry's awkward impromptu speech before it turned into a disaster, "Oh, hello boys, still awake are you? Well obviously what I am talking about, never mind me, what are you two talking about, Harry, you looked like you were saying sometime interesting before I walked in," gosh that girl could talk the feet off of anyone.

"Yeah, Harry, what were you saying, sometime about how pretty my sister is looking lately," Ron grinned widely, daring Harry to continue, Hermione just rolled her eyes,

"Ron, what Harry wants to say is, 'Ron, you are my friend and I did not mean for this to happen, but I have a major crush on your sister and would like your permission to ask her on a date, if you're not okay with this then just forget I said anything' isn't that right Harry," she couldn't have been more blatant if her potion had been spiked with a tactless potion, and who's to say it wasn't?

Generally that was Ginny's idea of a night well spent. She had a new semi-crush on her tail, only one encounter with Malfoy, and no Harry sightings. Fabulous, except it wasn't. She couldn't even sit on her common room without being stared at by like nine pairs of greedy eyes. Normally this would have pleased her to no end, but tonight, she just wanted to sit back and dream about those blue eyes, that grin, and that single raised eyebrow. Who wouldn't want that? Nobody I know.

To avoid the many eyes Ginny went up to her dormitory early, only to accosted by sometime much, much worse than eyes; teenage girls with a rumour.

"Oh Ginny sweety is it true?"

"Did he really sweep you off your feet like a true gentleman?"

"I heard he saw you crying and he kissed away your tears before you even knew his name!"

"Ladies, ladies, let's not get ahead of ourselves here," Ginny fought to quiet her three dorm mates, "firstly, before this particular rumour goes far too public lets sort everything out shall we," we waited for the girls to nod, "now, who exactly are we talking about here?"

"Oh don't you know?"

'You couldn't have had more than one really romantic thing happen today,"

"You must remember?"

"Well, knowing Ginny, and I do, it's likely that she's had quite a few encounters today and might possibly not remember which one we are talking about," she smiled slyly as she looked at Ginny's aghast face,

"Of that's what you think of me then ladies I'll tell you nothing further," Ginny made to turn around and go to sleep, she almost made it as well before the whining came,

"Oh please, Gin, come on, just tell us what happened with you and Terry Boot on the train today AND on your way to the tower," the other girls chimed in with their own pleading voices.

"Fine, you get one story out of me, and that's it girls, then I'm getting some well-deserved sleep," grudgingly they all agreed.

"Nothing happened on the train, now before you complain let me explain, I was trying to avoid my brothers when I somehow arrived outside of his compartment, lord only know why a boy like him was alone, but he was, he kindly invited me in and we talking for the entire ride, about what you ask, about nothing in particular, at dinner we shared a few glances and then in the hallway he pulled me off to the side and we had another chat, I told him if he wanted me he was going to have to work much harder, that's it, nothing else to tell," there was obvious disappointment on the girl's faces, but they still had hope that eventually Ginny Weasley and Terry Boot would turn into something worth gossiping about.

I am truly sorry to be jumping around the story so much, it will settle down…maybe, I make no promises, it's just that in Hogwarts at that very moment about a hundred things were happening.

Did he really want revenge? Was that the reason that the Draco Malfoy was going to center his year around trying to get the Weaselette to like him? Not that it was going to be much of a challenge, as charming as he was – naturally he wasn't counting on the presence of the wonderful Terry Boot – the girl wouldn't stand a chance once he began to show her some attention. What girl would? Regardless, it was going to be done. By Halloween she was going to be swooning over him and the Fabulous Trio was going to be in such a rage. He smirked at that, picturing their angry faces, Ron turning beetroot red, Granger's hair looking like she's recently been hit by lighting, and the jealous look on Potter's face as he, Draco, swept his dream girl off her feet. Ahhh, sweet vengeance.

"Draco!" Pansy's voice rang through his head like, well, like something extremely unpleasant.

"Pansy, how was your summer?" if he'd hope to fend her off with questions he was very wrong, she sat promptly in his lap and began to whine away

"I had the worst summer without you…." Blah blah blah, all that stuff that nobody cares about.

_Gracious, even weaselette would be better than this. _


	3. A Short Interlude

Ginny`s year was off to a swelling start. All her classes were in order and the first breakfast was filled with pancakes, syrup, and fresh strawberries. She was sitting at the table minding her own business – as much as is possible in a place like Hogwarts, where everyone is everywhere – when her innocent chocolate eyes strayed over to the Slytherin table, nothing wrong with that. Until she caught the eye of a certain piece of candy and he winked at her. Yes, you did hear me correctly, he winked at her. Malfoy, that little piece of insulting filth thought he could wink at her and get away with it, puh-lease. She rolled her eyes carelessly in his direction and turned at the sound of a much more charming voice,

"Good morning," crème-de-menthe all over again, she could listen to his voice all day and never get sick of it. Mmm.

"Why, good morning Mr. Boot, and what has you so far away from your own table and adoring fans?" she kept her tone light and delicately bit into a strawberry.

"Word has it that one must be a real gentleman in order to even be considered by you Miss. Weasley, so I was merely wishing you a good morning in the most gentlemanly fashion," he gave a small, mocking bow before walking away. Ginny's dorm mates, and sadly, breakfast mates, began the giggle-fest.

"Oh did you see the way he looked at her,"

"How teasing, to bow, gracious me,"

"He is perfectly splendid, don't you think so Ginny?"

All Ginny could do was nod blankly, the ferret had winked at her again. What was his game? Shaking him out of her head, she once again decided that ignoring him was the best policy and dreaming about Terry was an even better one.

"What, splendid, yes indeed, and the audacity to actually bow," she dragged herself back into the ladies conversation, she had to live with them all year, again, so she might as well keep in the loop.

Ginny had always loved her classes, transfiguration was one of her favourites, along with charms, one might not know it at first but being a good charm caster lead to good hexes. The ladies chattered the entire length of the morning and Ginny felt that lunch was going to be her only escape. At last it came, along with a hundred enticing smells. But one didn't smell so food like. Ginny froze as the mixture of spice and pine crept up behind her.

"Red, how wonderful to see you without those, imposing siblings of yours," Malfoy's voice was certainly not crème-de-menthe, if she had to pick a flavour it might have been butterscotch, too sweet not be really, really fake.

"Absolutely fan-freakin-tastic," she smiled as she spoke before trying to get ahead of him in the hallway, she'd spotted Terry ahead of her.

"Truly it is, you know, you have become quite the pretty girl these past few years Red, now that you are out from your brother's influence that is," typical, mix a compliment with an insult and leaving her feeling pretty but insecure.

"Oh look, I think I see some people worth my time and attention over there," Ginny exclaimed happily, pointing to nowhere in particular. Ew, had Malfoy just like, almost hit on her or something, that was really gross. He could be as attractive as he wanted but he was not, and she would repeat it, not, getting her. Ever.

"Hermione, gosh am I glad to run into you right now, how was your day?" that was all it took, Hermione launched into a speech about the pros and cons of all her various courses. Ginny was safe, nobody unwanted was going to talk to her so long as she pretended to be honestly interested in what Hermione was saying. It was the pretending to be interested part that was going to prove a challenge.

Ginny kept careful watch of her perimeter, Malfoy had gone over to his table and was looking handsomely bored as his mindless slaves yammered on about sometime and Pansy simpered in his ear. Terry was at his own table seated – very conveniently – so that he could watch Ginny. Ginny smiled as she saw his careful placement and chose the left side of Gryffindor table so that she could stare right back at him.

His eyebrows played games with her heartstrings as he wiggled them suggestively. She rolled her eyes with mock indifference, but she couldn't help the smile that was tugging at her lips.

Little did she notice that someone else's eyebrows were raised that the display that Terry was giving. It added a whole new dimension to Draco's game if Ginny already liked someone else, how much more satisfying it would be to beat out all the competition.


	4. Several Proposals and a Short Date

The first Hogsmeade weekend came about with surprising speed, considering the slow pace of Ginny`s days. The gossiping ladies continued with the old news story of "OMG Terry Boot and Ginny" nothing new there, but an edge had been added to their rumours, an edge of Eye-Candy. Rumour had it that the illustrious Draco Malfoy had eyes for the one and only Ginevra Weasley. It wasn't a widely known rumour, more something you might here in the back corner of a really dark room when surrounded by the worst of company when they were deeply intoxicated. That sort of thing.

Never-the-less Ginny went about her morning will all the elegance that being a Gryffindor lady required. Sadly, the poise just wasn't going to last.

"Ah, Miss. Weasley, how wonderful to see you again," true to his word and to her demand, Terry had been the very image of an 18th century gentleman, Ginny was surprised he hadn't started speaking Shakespearian yet.

"Absolutely stunning to be in your presence again Mr. Boot," she responded in kind,

"I was wondering, if you have no objections or prior commitments of course, if you would be so kind as to accompany me to Hogsmeade this weekend," and he kept his face straight the entire time, it was beyond charming.

Before I tell you how Ginny responded, I feel obliged to fill you in on some other events that were occurring around the same time. You may recall that Hermione, in a moment of complete exhaustion, essentially asked Ron permission for Harry to ask Ginny on a date. Now Ronald, being the overprotective sort had seen this as a fabulous way to keep Ginny in sight but still allow her to have fun and have given his blessing to Harry in hopes that Ginny would respond in kind. But I digress and return to something that may interest you.

Harry marched into the great hall with all the confidence in the world. He had permission to ask Ginny on a date and by golly he was going to. He was just about to reach her however, when that smarmy little Ravenclaw gave Ginny the gentlest of taps on the shoulder and began to charm her with his blue eyes and playful smile. The way Ginny responded – with a smile and a laugh – was all it took to send Harry into an angsty rage about everything that was wrong with his life; Voldemort, dementors, Cho Chang dumping him, bad hair, taped glasses, oh the list of agony went on, and now this. Ginny with another man and he wasn't even good at Quidditch – in Harry's opinion of course. Naturally Terry was actually a rather marvellous chaser.

He was just about to give up on everything and ask Luna to go to Hogsmeade with him when he saw Ginny look shying down at her feet and delicately shake her head. Was it possible that she was refusing Boot? Could it really be true?

I'll tell you now that it wasn't true, Ginny had been shaking her head at Terry's persistent 18th century style of speech, she was also giggling uncontrollably, but that wasn't for Harry to know.

His hopes soared, oh he had a chance, life was good again. Pride in his possession he took the last few steps towards Ginny and lightly places his hand upon her shoulder. Her laughter ceased,

"Good morning Harry," her tone suggested that it was anything but,

"It truly is Ginny, hey I was wondering if," he paused and looked pointedly at Terry, "excuse us Boot, Ginny and I have something to discuss," Terry stood his ground,

"I really don't think you do Potter, you see, Ginny has just been gracious enough to accept my invite for her to join me in Hogsmeade today, and I plan to thoroughly enjoy the time she had so kindly offered me, and if you distract her with something troublesome I worry that she won't be able to enjoy herself," Ginny was desperately trying to hide a smile by turning her back on the boys and stuffing her face elegantly, (how she managed, don't ask me) with fruit and pancakes.

Harry was, needless to say, shell shocked. There was no clever retort pouncing off his tongue, nothing. Ginny was going to Hogsmeade with Boot, end of story. He turning around, took a seat at the table and promptly began ignoring them. All the while watched by a pretty pair of silver eyes.

Now that Ginny had a date to Hogsmeade she needed more time to get dressed, and giggle with the ladies, (whose names I don't feel need to be mentioned because I picture them as something like a hydra, one being with multiple heads that spew gossip instead of fire).

"OMG Ginny, Terry Boot, THE Terry Boot just asked you to go to Hogsmeade with him!"

"It is so Fabulous!"

"We are going to have to find JUST the right thing for you to wear,"

Clothing, at least the ladies were good for something. Ginny took a deep breath, stood up in the middle of the room and said,

"Do your worst ladies," and she was surrounded by a bustle of noise and shrieks as the ladies moved around the room collected skirts and sweaters, debating various benefits of jeans and eye shadow.

"She has to look natural, she can't seem like she's trying too hard,"

"But she looks so good all dressed up with the gold eye shadow,"

"Fine, do the eye shadow but she can't wear the red boots,"

"What about the skinny jeans with the knee high brown boots, that will look casual but sexy?" – when they talked about clothes it really didn't matter what item belonged to whom, and shoes were anybody's game ever since they had discovered a charm to make a shoe fit perfectly.

When they had finished, Ginny was ravishing. They had agreed on the dark skinny jeans with the knee high brown leather boots, a soft cashmere sweater that was some kind of lilac colour, the gold eye shadow, bronze earrings and a little bronze ring in the shape of an owl. It was pretty much fabulous.

"There, you are perfection, go knock him dead," they squealed.

When she arrived in the entrance hall Terry was waiting. He looked every bit as gorgeous as he ever did with dark jeans and a button up shirt. Ginny was just about to great him when someone wolf whistled from across the hall,

"Wooh, Weaselette, don't you look stellar, far to charming for that man right there, and may I say I am so proud of you for making Potter go that particular shade of red this morning, goodness he matched your hair, now with those boots Weaselette you should be spending time of people who truly appreciate them," Draco gave her a wink and a smirk,

"People like who Malfoy? Surely you don't mean yourself?" and there was the gentleman standing up for his lady at last, "personally I think she looks fabulous, far better than those Slytherin chits who can't tell the difference between clothing and lingerie," Malfoy was stunned into silence, but only for a moment,

"Give it a thought Weaselette," he smirked again before walking away with his entourage.

"Thank you for doing that, you really didn't need to, I've been dealing with him for years, although he seems to have changed his tune a bit lately," Terry just smiled and proffered his arm to her,

"Let's not let him spoil our day, shall we," good lord Ginny was never going to stop swooning when he used that voice, graciously she took his arm and they walked towards Hogsmeade with all due glamour.

Walking with Terry was like being transported back in time. He was so chivalrous it sent her heart reeling. But the encounter with Malfoy was tugging at her mind, forcing her to acknowledge it. Why would he start being nicer to her – nicer being a relative term of course – it just didn't make sense, she had never given him any incentive to do so and he had never showed any of his own in the past. It was baffling. Oops she'd just missed out on something Terry had said,

"Sorry Terry, what was that? My mind is drifting," she always tried to be polite about these things but for some reason they guys always ended up getting offended. Which is why she was so shocked when Terry just smiled,

"Malfoy on the mind?" he asked

"It's just that, he's never been like that before, before he would have made some snide remark about how my sweater is second hand or sometime, but an actual half-compliment just isn't his style, but please, let's not worry about him, tell me what you were saying," Terry was perfect, he gave her another brilliant smile and kept talking about Quidditch teams, the various benefits of butterbeer, and if they should go back to Hogwarts early and explore a little before everyone else went back," the last idea seemed charming, and also a little dangerous.

Harry was sitting in the Three Broomsticks with Ron and Hermione with Draco walked in.

"Oh I just hate that guy, look at his smarmy face, and Pansy, I sweat if she ever becomes an animagus she is bound to be a pug," Ron gave a chortle of laughter at that and Hermione just shook her head.

"Hermione," Harry said after another sip of butterbeer, "did you know that Ginny liked Boot before you told Ron that I like Ginny?" this was the point that had confused his small mind the most, if Hermione knew that Ginny would turn him down then why wouldn't she tell him?

"Umm, well not exactly Harry, I mean, I knew Boot fancied her and that she thought he was charming and all that, but I never really thought he would ask her out," to cover her lack of knowledge on the subject Hermione began guzzling her butterbeer in a rather un-ladylike fashion.

Meanwhile, over at another far more interesting table Malfoy was thinking about all the possible ways the intrigue the Weaselette. The plan had been well laid of course, there was a good foundation, she knew he had changed his tune when it came to her, but the difficult part was coming, getting her to see him as the charming suave one, and Boot as the bumbling fool. Getting Boot to look like a fool wouldn't be hard, bloody Ravenclaw, but getting the Weaselette to change her mind, well that could take time. Then he spied the Golden Trio sitting in a corner and he couldn't resist a final jab at their majorly overblown and undeserved egos

"Hey Potter, heard you got turned down by the little Red this morning," he jeered happily, "and may I say she looked absolutely ravishing this morning when she was all cozied up with Boot," Potter turned red again and Ron could have been on fire, bother were speechless with rage, leave it to Hermione to keep her cool,

"I'll pass on the compliment to Ginny when I see her, I'm sure she'll be thrilled that the Slytherin prince thinks so highly of her, so might even be so grateful as to send a Bat Bogey Hex in thanks,"

Malfoy shivered, he had been at the receiving end of that particular hex before, and he could tell anyone that asked that it was not a particularly pleasant experience. Still, having Hermione run off to Ginny and tell little Red that he had complimented her again, in public, just might work to his advantage,

"Why thank you Granger, I would be pleased as well if you could send her this," he conjured a small red rose petal, cast a charm on it, walked over to the Trio's table and gave it to Granger.


	5. Games and Roses

Oh what a day it had been, Terry wasn't the kind to take her somewhere tacky like Madame Puddifoot's, instead they had gone to a little known coffee house on the other end of Hogsmeade. Overall, she gave it an A+, even if she occasionally felt like she could be doing sometime better with her time, like sneaking into the Shrieking Shack, or finding new hidden passageways in the castle, yet she was confident that once Terry got used to her they could do those sorts of things together.

Sighing with happiness she thanked Terry for the wonderful day, he kissed the back of her hand. She gave the fat lady the password and they parted on good terms. Upon entering the common room she was greeted by quite the commotion. The ladies were squealing ad they gathered around her and dragged her over to where Hermione was sitting.

"Hermione, what is going on?" Ginny was taken aback by being attacked by her friends.

"Umm, Malfoy said you looked completely ravishing this morning, after insulting Harry, than he asked me to give you this," Hermione kind of spat the words out of her mouth as if she wasn't sure what to do with them. From her pocket she pulled the crumped rose petal and handed it to Ginny. The moment it touched her hand the petal transformed into a bouquet of wild flowers all mixed in with about two dozen roses. It was gorgeous, the ladies gasped and Hermione jumped as she saw a card float down from the flowers, she handed it to Ginny, it read in a flowing script, _This is what a girl who looked as fabulous as you did deserves. _That was it.

Ginny was emotionally torn, she hated Malfoy, but the flowers and the compliment were really beautiful. The ladies were squealing praised of the flowers as they clambered up the staircase to their dorm behind Ginny.

"Oh and the roses, gorgeous,"

"How did he know that Ginny likes wildflowers?"

"I don't know but gosh that was quite the show of magic,"

They didn't even noticed how shocked and confused Ginny was. _What is Malfoy's game_, _he hates me and I hate him, end of story, but the flowers really are nice, what is he playing at?_

Sleep that night did not come easily, Ginny was plagued with memories of Malfoy's sneering face, his insults, and then his compliments and the flowers. _Why didn't Terry get me flowers….?_

"Ginny, Ginny, wake up!"

"There's another note!" the squeals made her head ache and she pulled the pillow over her ears,

"Let me sleep, it's Sunday, why are you all awake?" she groaned, her eyes closed against the bright sunlight seeping in through the window,

"Because, I was getting up to get a head start on my hair and I saw the card and so I got really excited and i just HAD to wake everyone up to see what it was all about!" her voice rose steadily in pitch as she spoke.

"Okay, okay, I'll get up, read this card or note or whatever you're talking about and then I am going back to sleep, where I belong," Ginny mumbled as she pushed the pillow away and sat up. The flowers were sitting on a table in their dorm and sure enough another shiny parchment card was sitting among the roses. Carefully Ginny reached for her socks before putting her feet on the floor – possibly the only downside of Hogwarts, cold floors in the morning. She grabbed the card and opened it, revealing more of the same, flowing script as the night before, _Riddle me this, How did Boot manage to get a girl like you?_ Well, it was concise and to the point as well as charming. How dare he be so charming it was completely unfair, _his role is like if fulfilled by his being eye candy and having a sexy voice, he is not allowed to be charming and send flowers. _

More confused than ever, Ginny headed down to breakfast where she promptly headed towards the Ravenclaw table, placed her hand on Terry's back, waited for him to turn before giving him a peck on the cheek, picked up a strawberry from his plate and popped it in her mouth before strolling off towards her own table. _Did I really just do that to taunt Malfoy and prove a point? Do I need to prove a point? Why would I do that? Sure it was fun and flirty but still, thinking about getting back at Malfoy the whole time is not what a girl should be thinking when she kisses another boy. I am going completely mental. _So it was settled, Ginny was insane, Malfoy was an ass, and Terry was about to before a very confused child who had no idea what Ginny was talking about.

She was about to leave to great hall and get her books when she turned around and looked at Malfoy,

"Hey, Malfoy!" she yelled, then waited for the hall to go quiet as she knew it would, "Thank you for the flowers, they're lovely," then she waltzed on out the door to get her books. What a little tease she was in that moment, Terry would be jealous and confused, but he would know that it he wanted to keep Ginny he would have to step up his game, and Malfoy, well she just hoped that whatever game he was playing and whatever he was thinking would be side-tracked if she began to play along.

Wonderful, it was working; she was charmed by the flowers but was trying to use it to her advantage to make Boot jealous. Well let her be charmed because he was going to make sure she was well under his spell before he actually tried anything with Red. Quietly he muttered a spell that would change the words on the note he had sent her, let her be charmed.

"Draco," Pansy simpered – there really is no other words for her style of speech – "did you really send that little blood-traitor flowers?" her hands tugged at his arm trying to bring him back to the present, "You don't even bring me flowers,"

"Well Pansy, some people deserve flowers and some people don't," he said clearly before leaving the hall and heading to potions. Potions was his favourite class and he would hate to be late, besides, that was the class he shared the Dream Team and it would be a shame to miss an opportunity to mess with their pathetic lives.

He got to class before everyone else and began setting up the ingredients for a Sanare potion, which was sort of a heal all ails potion for minor coughs and colds. Enter the dream team and his day was starting off swimmingly, he couldn't wait for Weasley to begin his tirade of why he should stay away from his precious little sister,

"Oi, Malfoy! What's this about you sending my sister flowers?" his voice sounded strong but Draco wanted to laugh at how predictable he was,

"Just paying a compliment where a compliment was due Weasley," he said calmly before turning back to his potion. Thankfully the Trio was silenced by the entrance of Professor Snape and the rest of the class. But that wouldn't stop the glares Ronald and Potter were giving him for the rest of the class, that had its own way of turning gleeful however, as the glaring caused Potter's knife to slip and cut his finger instead of the salamander tail. Draco gave a pleasant laugh and informed Snape of the accident,

"Professor, it appears the Potter has had a little mishap," then he watched the shoe unfold

"Really Potter, if you cannot control a simple thing such as a knife how it is that you even manage to hold your wand as cast a spell, five point from Gryffindor for inattention," Snape's cold voice was a whisper through the dungeon, a whisper that was all Draco needed to hear to keep him floating on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

When Ginny returned to her dorm that evening she couldn't help but notice the card near her flowers was lying open and there seemed to be a lot less writing on it then there had been that morning. With tired finger's she picked it up, _You're welcome, _is read. Then the writing flowed into something else, _Your brother didn't like the flowers very much, but I believe that when a compliments are deserved they ought to be given. _

Well he was right about that, at lunch Ron had yapped on with his mouth full for about half an hour, yelling stuff like "ha da you assept fwowas fwom hm" with was loosely translated to "I am a moron who doesn't like it when people give my sister flowers, especially when that person is Malfoy" Ginny has chosen to ignore him and enjoy the looks she was getting from Terry as well as the jealous eyes of her other admirers as they looked on in jealousy at her, but it was futile, she had eyes only for Terry Boot, star chaser and Mr. Crème-de-menthe.

Thinking of Terry made Ginny think about Quidditch, and how much she wished Harry would get his arse in gear and start practices seeing as he was the captain. _Well I don't have to wait for Harry to officially start practice, who says I can't go for an evening fly around the pitch. Nobody will object accept Ronald. And Hermione, because I haven't finished my homework, but that's okay, I can do it, ummmm, later, yeah later sounds good. _Picking up her broom from under she bed she looked at the window and wondered if it was possible to get it open far enough to fly out of. Upon proving to herself that she was indeed a wonderful witch and that her wand work could open any window, she left a short note for the ladies and jumped out the open window and onto her broom.

Ahh, flying was possibly the most wonderful feeling. Air all around you and nobody could stare because you were moving too fast. It was prefect, that weightlessness, why Hermione hated flying she had no idea.

Ginny wove her way around the castle until she found herself on the pitch. She was not alone. Someone else was going for a late night fly and that platinum hair was just too hard to miss. She grinned and flew over to him,

"One nights flying isn't going to be enough for you to beat the Gryffindor team Malfoy," she taunted from above,

"Hey, is that the way to speak to someone who sent you flowers?" there was something teasing in his voice, and it wasn't bad or cruel, it was…almost…amused.

"One good deed is not enough to make up for six years of mistreatment Malfoy," she flew another circle around his head before diving under him in a complex spiral. So what if she was a bit of a show off, flying was fun.

"Then I'm just going to have to try a little harder," his sneer turned into a smirk as his pulled his broomstick around and began to chase her around the pitch. It took a while for Ginny to realize that she was laughing and playing along, and a little more time to see that Malfoy was actually playing. _That has to be the strangest concept ever, Malfoy, playful, I never would have thought. _

Despite her incredible flying talent Draco eventually caught up to her – he had a faster broom, what could she say. With ease he pulled her off of her own broom and onto his. Ginny squealed as she felt his strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her close,

"Let me show you what flying should be like," he whispered in her ear, oh that voice was butterscotch no more, it was pure scotch, sweet and intoxicating. She could only dream so long because before she had finish analyzing the voice change Malfoy had gone into a dive, it was insanity how fast he was plummeting towards the ground and pulling her down with him. Yet somehow Ginny felt safe, _it's because I am confortable on a broom and I know he's a good seeker, that's all, it's not that I'm particularly comfortable with this situation over all. _

He pulled out of the dive centimeters above the ground before gently pulling the broom to a stop and helping Ginny dismount,

"Well that was unexpectedly strange and unwanted Malfoy, I'll be going now, and I really do appreciate having my evening ruined by ferrets, so let's not do this again," she snapped her fingers and her own broom came racing towards her; hopping on Ginny sped off towards Gryffindor tower leaving a smirking Draco in her wake. 

When Ginny got back to her dorm the ladies were sleeping. She glanced at the card on the table and opened it, once again the words had changed, _You have a way of ruining the best laid plans, but all the same I know you enjoyed yourself tonight. _ Oh she would slap that boy the next time she saw him, how dare he suggest that she, Ginevra Weasley, had enjoyed his company.


	6. Halloween Kisses

Halloween was fast approaching and Hermione had spread that word that as Head Girl she was going to host a masquerade ball – because everyone loves those despite how cliché they happen to be. You didn't have to dress up if you didn't want to, but masks would be mandatory. Ginny was greatly looking forward to it though she hadn't a clue what to wear.

The evening of the ball she was beginning to worry; sure she could transfigure any of her clothes into a dress. The problem was deciding what the dress should look like, what the mask should look like, how she should do her hair, her make-up, she should dye her hair to make it less auspicious, high heels or flats? It was endless.

Her problems all evaporated as a silky voice whispered in her ear,

"Are you going to the ball tonight Miss. Weasley?" she turned to see Terry behind her and she gave him a quick hug,

"Why yes I am, perhaps if you can find me I'll save you a dance," she said coyly before racing off to find something, anything to wear.

"Damn that girl knows how to play with a man," Terry mumbled to himself, well, he thought it was only to himself,

"She playing with your little heart Boot?" Draco's voice slithered into his ears,

"What's it to you Malfoy?" Terry snapped,

"She's a pretty girl who deserves the best, perhaps you just aren't making the cut," Draco went to walk away before turning on his heal to add, "Ask her about the flowers I sent her, it just might teach you something about women," he sneered before walking off to his dorm to prepare for the masquerade.

Draco wasn't going to do anything too fancy for the ball; simple black looked best on him. He showered, shaved, pulled on a pair of blank pants, charmed them to be lint free, grabbed a black silk shirt, pulled it over his hair and left it unbuttoned at the top. He teased his hair out of its usual sleeked back position and left it looking wind swept and wild; naturally in charming and handsome way. His mask was black as well and it covered most of his upper face and his cheeks; leaving his eyes and lips for show. Nothing was better, in Draco's opinion, than black on black on Draco.

Ginny was going through an entirely different process; transfiguring sweaters into every kind of dress imaginable. Full length ball gowns, short cocktail dresses, medium length dresses covered in feathers. Nothing was working.

"OOO Ginny look!" one of the ladies shouted suddenly, Ginny pivoted to see what she was going on about this time. Sitting next to the flowers (which never died) was a small pile of boxes; a card sat atop the nearest one,

_Ginevra,_

_I realize that sending you a dress will allow me to recognize you tonight_

_However, that was not my intention and I promise not to misuse to privilege _

_I simply saw the dress and thought you'd like it_

_Then the lady at the store insisted that I buy everything else that went with the dress, I hope you like it._

_I would be honoured if you would wear it. _

"Oh My God, he bought you a dress!" the squealing never ended with those three,

"Ladies, ladies let's not squeal until we've seen the dress okay," Ginny tried to calm them down as she opened the box. Her heart stopped. It was strapless, backless, full length in the back and short in the front, burgundy on the outside and the inside – which you could see because the front was short – was patterned with leopard spots. It was full skirted, silky and completely perfect. The shoes were white with ribbons as straps, there was a note attached to them, _worry not about the height of the heels, I charmed them for comfort. _Well that was useful. The jewels were bronze and simple, but perfect. And the mask, which had a box of its own, was a concoction of feathery perfection. It was white with a bronze pattern that flowed across the cheeks and had feathers around the eyes that came out at just the right angles.

"Ginny, I demand of you right now to put that dress on while I do you hair, and then you are going to go downstairs and telling Draco to marry you, just so you can wear clothing like this for the rest of your life," Natalie said (I really am going to have to separate the Hydra if I want to tell you what they all wore)

"Agreed, only don't marry him, marry Boot and be Malfoy's mistress so he'll buy you nice things," smiled Jessica

"Oh please, she doesn't have to marry anyone, she doesn't even say hello to Malfoy and he sent her the dress," snapped Lindy, "Regardless, I agree with Natalie that you should wear that dress and let her do you hair while Jess and I get dressed,"

Ginny relented, her reluctance to accept such a gift from her enemy faded as she admired how perfect the dress really was. Natalie charmed her hair into an up-do then changed the colour to a deep brown, leaving only streaks of the original red. To add to the effect Natalie tinted Ginny's eyebrows the same brown, even though they would be covered by the mask – she was a perfectionist if nothing else.

Natalie then dashed into the bathroom to have a quick shower and don her own gown. She was going to wear a frightfully pink dress with an electric blue mask, heels, and extensive jewellery. She had interesting tastes but somehow it all worked out and looked stellar.

Jessica was the next to come back into the room. With her tan skin the white, slinky gown with gold highlights and accessories made her look like an Egyptian queen. The mask had a certain style to it as well that suggested Cleopatra was somehow inspired the look. When Lindy came out of the bathroom the girls gasped,

"Merlin's pants Lindy," gasped Natalie, and she was right, Merlin's pants indeed. Lindy was done up to the nines in a dark purple dress made entirely of lace and silk (where it was needed to remain modest of course).

"Lindy, whoever dances with you tonight is going to be searched for you for the rest of his life, knowing you only as the masked women in lace," Ginny smiled,

"It's perfection, we all are, let's go shake some booty," Natalie was giggling again as she lead the girls out of the dorm to the awaiting eyes in the common room.

"Ladies don't you look wonderful," ew, Harry Potter try to charm them already. Yes, it was that obvious that the boy with the frog green mask was Harry and it wasn't only because he was standing beside Ron – who had left his hair red.

"Thank you Harry," Lindy winked openly, leaving Ron standing there with his mouth wide open. She was going to break some hearts tonight.

Ginny and her posse walked slowly down to the Great Hall; trying for effect as they walked down the last staircase with everyone watching. Terry was standing at the door awaiting Ginny; who he assumed would be easy to find because of her hair. Even though he was in a mask Ginny couldn't fail to recognize him as he said a polite hello to the strange girl in the gorgeous gown and feathery white mask, his voice gave him away,

"Hello Terry," she said with a wink before disappearing into the fray of the dance. The Hall looked splendid. Pumpkins decorated every corner thanks to Hagrid and there were tables around the edge of the room covered in food and surrounded by chairs.

Ginny held her head up high and walked carefully around the edge of the room. Watching the dancers and trying to pick out the handsomest of the boys. A warm arm wrapped itself around her waist. Ginny gave no sign of shock as she turn to see who the arm belonged to. He was dressed entirely in black but was completely recognizable,

"Malfoy, truly I cannot be bought but the dress is gorgeous and I thank you," she said stiffly, not sure how to react to this person who was so charming in writing and so evil in reality,

"Would you care to thank me with a dance before everyone else has a chance to ruin your feet by stepping on them," his voice was purring in her ear and she couldn't resist, only the ladies would know who she was so nobody could get mad at her dancing with the ferret.

"Of course, seeing as you may be the only man capable of dancing properly," she took her proffered hand and he led her out onto the dance floor.

"May I say you look ravishing once again, Boot truly doesn't deserve you," he spun her around and she came back to him with a pout,

"Terry is a perfect gentleman who has not had to stoop to giving elaborate gifts in order to get me to like him," she sniffed but continued dancing, he pulled her closer and leaned into whisper in her ear. They looked for all the world like lovers sharing a private conversation,

"So you admit that you like me?" the scotch voice was back again and it was intoxicating her.

"I never said such a thing Malfoy, nor will I ever, you have been cruel to both myself and my family, I could possibly forget what your father has done, but that doesn't excuse you, however, I won't mind in the least if you continue with the gifts," they shared a smile at the last part and the dance was over. Draco kissed her hand and when she turned to walk away she realized that she was clutching a white rose petal. _Interesting, _was all she could think before she tucked it into her bosom for safe keeping and accepted the next offer to dance.

She wished she hadn't agreed to dance with this man; he stepped on her feet and breathed heavily in her ear. It was disgusting. The moment the dance was over she slipped away and hid in the crowd; determined to watch Lindy, Natalie, and Jess break some hearts.

Lindy was waltzing with some handsome Hufflepuff, Natalie was with someone who looked suspiciously like Blaise Zabini and Jess was currently breaking Ronald`s heart. She kept a watchful eye on Terry as well; making sure her man wasn't pulling another girl a little too close. When she finally saw him with Hermione she decided it was time to cut in; let Hermione go find Ron and let Ginny have her Terry.

She stepped up behind Hermione (who was unmistakable with her curly hair and small figure) and tapped her on the shoulder,

"Truly I hope you don't mind, but may I cut in, and make a small suggestion?" she paused while Terry ogled her and Hermione nodded, "There is a red headed boy over there who has been watching you all evening, perhaps a dance of two in your capable hands and he'll be in your palm forever," Ginny couldn't help but smile as her friends eyes lit up like candles as she excused herself from Terry's arms and marched towards Ron in order to drag Jess away.

"Now Terry, I said you could have a dance if you could find me, but I've decided that I want to dance regardless of your finding skills," he smiled as he recognized her voice and pulled her close,

"I ran into someone today, someone who had sent you flowers,"

"Oh, and?" she asked, this had to have a point. Why would Malfoy talk to Terry?

"He told me to ask you about them, said it would teach me something about women, he also made several snide remarks about how I don't deserve you," It might not have been wise for Terry to mention everything Malfoy had said to him; it only worked in Draco's favour.

"Well, he sent me flowers with a card, saying that a girl who looked as wonderful as I did deserved them, that's it really, the flowers are truly very pretty and making them look like a single rose petal then sending them to my via Hermione was really quite clever," she didn't want to tell him who sent her the dress either or about the changing messages in the card.

"You do deserve flowers Ginny, and chocolate, and pretty dresses, and everything else imaginable, well, everything good at least," he stumbled over his words seeming slightly nervous with Ginny's proximity as well as her dress. "You look gorgeous tonight by the way," he smiled at her and leaned in close before gently placing his lips on her. It only lasted a moment but it was enough to make Ginny's heart race and bring a blush to her cheeks. She smiled and tucked her head into Terry's chest until the dance was over.

The evening wore on. Ginny spent every second or third dance with Terry. She danced a few with Harry just to tease him and the rest with anyone who asked her. When the last dance came about she was looking for Terry again when she heard him,

"Don't waste your feet on him again Red, come, spend the last dance with me," Draco held out his hand and Ginny couldn't refuse; he'd bought her the dress, the shoes, given her the flowers, everything Terry had said that she deserved, albeit without the chocolate.

"Did you keep the rose petal?" he whispered in her ear,

"Yes, why?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad you did," he pulled her closer and spun her around the room so elegantly she would have sworn he was a professional ballroom dancer.

Off to the side Terry was watching the pair with jealous eyes. This was the last dance; he wasn't going to have another chance to impress Ginny tonight unless he waited for her afterwards with something that put Malfoy's flowers to shame.

The music swirled to an end and Ginny stepped away from Draco,

"Thank you for the dance and for the dress, but I think Pansy is waiting for you," she grinned at the last part just to show him that expensive gifts were not going to change her. He smiled back, an actual, genuine smile that made her heart stop. Mischief was in his eyes as he stepped towards her and carefully kissed her lips before turning and walking towards and awestruck and angry Pansy Parkinson.

Ginny put her fingers on her lips. Two kisses in one night; some would say she was a lucky girl. The problem was; she wasn't sure which kiss she had enjoyed more.


	7. The Morning After

Ginny lay on her back that night, tossing and turning. Sleep was being elusive as a dear in the hunt. Why was Malfoy's kiss haunting her lips so terribly? She liked Terry, didn't she? Merlin this was confusing. She hated Malfoy and adored Terry, so it was Terry's kiss she should be thinking about right? Even though he hadn't gotten her magical flowers he had done something after the dance.

_ Ginny was humming to herself as she left the Great Hall with the strange kiss on her lips when a warm arm wrapped itself around her waist, for what seemed like the millionth time that year, and dragged her into the dark._

_ "Kissing other men are we Ginevra?" his silky voice whispered in her ear,_

_ "Being kissed more like," she sighed, happy to be held so close to him_

_ "Ah, well that I can forgive," she could hear the smile in Terry's voice, "But I really can't have you walking around with another man's kiss on your lips," Ginny smiled to herself, what in the name of Merlin was Terry going to do. In answer her spun her around to face him and held her chin still as he lowered his lips to hers. It wasn't like before, it was warm and sweet and pure. She melted._

Ginny smiled at the memory, unknowingly Malfoy had made Terry jealous; and nothing was more fabulous than a jealous man in a mask. Out of the corner of her chocolate eyes Ginny saw something glowing softly; like candlelight. It was the card that Malfoy was using to send messages all the time. Quietly, so her dorm mates wouldn't hear, Ginny got up and looked at the card. It read now, _You looked wonderful in the dress, not so wonderful when Boot had his face mashed up against yours. _

Was that jealously coming from the cold Slytherin prince? Could it be that he actually fancied her? Or was he just playing games like usual? Ginny forced herself not to think about him, the dress, the card, and the flowers, anything related to Malfoy. She was going to focus all of her energy on dreaming about Terry.

Draco was lying awake looking out the window at the pale moon. He was trying desperately to convince himself that the kiss hadn't meant anything and that he pang he had felt while watching Boot kiss her had not been jealously. It was, excitement as the game moved on to a whole new level, _yes that was it. _Relaxed now that he had his thoughts in order he cast the charm to change the writing in the Weaselette's card. _Even if he wasn't actually jealous of Boot, it would be amusing to watch her reaction. _

Harry was so confused. He hadn't even seen Ginny that evening. Sure he had thought that he girl who had come out of the dormitories with the Hydra had been Ginny with a hair charm, but as he watched her over the course of the evening he saw that girl kissing someone who looked suspiciously like Malfoy, and Ginny would definitely not sink to that level. But then that same girl had danced several dances with him and he couldn't help but think she moved exactly like Ginny did. Poor Harry, he was so baffled. Slowly his mind drifted to the other girl he remembered dancing with. She was nothing more or less than an Egyptian goddess. Smiling to himself he ducked his head into his pillow and tried to figure out exactly which one of Ginny's friends that girl had been.

Ginny awoke the next morning with a smirk upon her face. She had had the most wonderful dreams filled with beaches, mountain views, and Terry. There had been one part at the end where Malfoy had walked in, without an invitation I might add, and dragged her away from Terry. Shaking everything out of her head she got up to shower, only to find that she had fallen asleep that evening with her bra on. Rolling her eyes at herself she took it off before getting into the shower. Something fell to the floor and Ginny remembered the rose petal that Malfoy had given her. Carefully she picked it up from the marble floor and watched as it turned into a single while rose with a note attached; _You may be adorable but I'm still going to whip your arse in the first Quidditch match. _Charming and amusing. Ginny half smiled before putting the rose down and taking her time with her shower.

She had Quidditch practice early that morning and needed to hurry out to the pitch if she wanted to avoid a lecture from Captain Harry. Less drowsy after half drowning herself in the shower she skipped down the stairs, into the change room and tossed on her practice robes before heading out onto the pitch. _Damn, _everyone else was already there and waiting for her, _oh well, I have the excuse of the party last night. But then, so does everyone else. Double damn. _

Harry glared at her as the joined the team,

"Why are late Ginny?" the words sounded kind, but she knew that without a marvellous excuse he would start yelling.

"Umm, well I was delayed this morning but my ahhh dorm mates. They all took like really long showers really early this morning because they didn't get all their makeup off last night and that sort of thing, so yeah," that was the worst excuse she had even given anyone, ever.

"And you needed to shower before practice because?" Ronald was looking at her oddly now, _okay okay, ummm must think of something really fast. Something they won't question. Perfect,_

"Girl stuff Ronald, can we just forget it and practice now?" that one worked like a charm, Harry and Ron blushed deeply before nodded vigorously and jumping into the air. Ginny couldn't help but smile at herself, she was genius. She leapt onto her broom, grabbed the quaffle from her fellow chaser and made her way in a complex pattern towards Ron's goal where she scored easily. Merlin, Quidditch was fun at six in the morning. Harry yelled at regular intervals; the beaters weren't paying enough attention, Ron was drifting to one side, the chasers needed to work together and not rely on Ginny so much. _He is so set on beating Slytherin, wow, I almost want to make us lose, just to tick him off. But no, that would mean that Malfoy would win and then the stupid white rose note would be right, damn, wait, what did he just say. Oops he's looking at me, I must have missed something, nod like you know what's going on. _She nodded at Harry before turning to look at Katie, who was flying beside her,

"What did he say?"

"He was telling you that you looked distracted, and if you were that distracted during the game against Slytherin he wouldn't be surprised if Malfoy took advantage of you right in the middle of the game, which frankly is a little farfetched, I mean, maybe after the game the ferret might try something but surly during…" Katie trailed off with a chuckle and a smile. Ginny swore loudly, she would have liked to have come up with a clever retort. Well she was just going to have to listen to Harry next time he said something stupid like that.

Finally it was over and Harry released them into the Great Hall. The practice had taken so long that nobody had any time to shower so the whole team was going to be a sweaty, smelly mess for the rest of the day. Which really sucked, especially for Ginny, whose hair was now an entirely different shade of red due to the sweat. She had messily pulled it back to avoid looking like a complete disaster but she wasn't going to maintain her usual perfect looks that particular day.

Walking into the Great Hall was an event in and of itself. The Slytherin table looked at them and booed, including Malfoy, who paused just long enough to give her a suggestive smirk and his signature wink. Ginny shivered in disgust before looking over to the Ravenclaw table. Terry was watching her with a pleased eye; apparently the 'athletic, sweaty look' was attractive to him. Ginny gave him a proper smile before sitting down to her breakfast. 

Sitting there at the table Ginny couldn't help it when her eyes wandered over to look at Malfoy. He had kissed her after all; he deserved to be glared at. Once he caught her looking and stunned her with a proper smile. It changed his whole face; he didn't look evil or devious, he looked beautiful. It was very disconcerting. Ginny rolled her eyes at him again and went back to listening to Ron and Harry's conversation about the dance last night,

"Oh hey yeah, did you dance with that girl in the lace dress, Merlin's pants she was hot," Ron's enthusiasm caused Hermione to look up at him with a frown before 'accidentally' knocking her pumpkin juice onto him.

"Oh great, now I'm going to have to change before class," he huffed before leaving to get fresh robes. Hermione smiled to herself in satisfaction. Harry looked at her with some suspicion before turning to talk to Ginny,

"Did you even go to the dance Ginny?" Ginny winced at his annoyingly intense gaze,

"Yeah I did, you must just not have been looking in the right place," she gazed off into the distance hoping that Harry would lose interest in the conversation. She had no such luck,

"Didn't you come down the stairs with your friends? I thought all of you came into the common room at once," _drat, he wasn't going to let this go, think of something quick_.

"Oh yeah, I came down with them, you must have been distracted by Lindy, she was all done up in some very distracting lace," Ginny paused and bit her lip, hoping this worked.

"Oh, okay. Yeah I guess that might have done it, by the way who was the one in the white and gold?" _oh lord, Jess shouldn't have danced with him so much._

"Ah yeah that was Jessica," well she wasn't exactly going to lie, and what was she going to say, that it was Natalie? No way.

"Okay, thanks Ginny, have a good day," he smiled at her before trotting off to class. Ginny sighed with relief.

"Ginny, you were wearing the dress that was short at the front right, with the white mask?" _and I had so wished Hermione had been distracted by Ron and wouldn't notice my sitting here._

"Why do you ask Hermione?" she had to make sure she wasn't thinking about this the wrong way. Make sure Hermione was asking what she thought she was asking,

"It's just because I thought I saw you kiss Malfoy last night," Hermione sounded so confused it was charming – or at least a change from her usual know it all voice.

"You must have been mistaken Hermione, that is something I would never do, anywho gotta jet," Ginny jumped up from the table and dashed off to class. That girl was way too observant for her own good.

Safely in the hallway Ginny slowed her pace, she didn't need to be in arithmancy for another fifteen minutes.

"Well, well, well what have we here, little Red all alone," she closed her eyes and let the voice roll over her before bringing herself back to her senses,

"There is no way you are beating Gryffindor in the next match Malfoy, regardless of your talent with rose petals and flowers in general," she huffed and sped up a little; he easily kept pace,

"Well I thought the rose was a nice touch, a little thank you for the kiss," he gave her another one of those disconcerting smiles,

"You gave me the rose petal before you kissed me, do you mean to say you planned on doing that?" that was uncomfortable, he couldn't possibly fancy her, it wasn't allowed, she wasn't going to allow it,

"Cool off a little Red, there wasn't a straight male in that room who didn't plan on snogging you senseless, most just didn't have the guts," he smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist as if to say he definitely had guts.

"Take your arm off me, and leave, now," Her voice was quiet but demanding, "At least Terry is enough of a gentleman to respect my personal space," she huffed. He didn't move his arm. Instead he pulled her closer and leant his head down next to hers,

"You can't honestly tell me that my kiss didn't haunt you all night little Red," she could feel his smirk against her skin; he was that close,

"Haunted me like a murderous ghost perhaps, now get away from me, ferret," she tried to pull away but didn't succeed before he planted another chaste kiss on her thoroughly over-touched lips.

"Remember who's been treating you like a lady deserves to be treated Red, with flowers and dresses, and everything else," she just shivered and headed quickly to class.


	8. Inner Voices

November passed in a dreary haze of rainy weather and homework for Ginny and the Hydra. Natalie awoke one morning with a gasp and then a scream that wretched Ginny from her pleasant dream about people with alcohol for voices.

"What is it this time?" she groaned as she buried her face into her feathery pillow, determined to continue her dream where it had left off.

"Well first off I think the note changed again, and secondly, it SNOWED!" a not so subtle groan was heard from Jessica – who adored summer and despised any other kind of weather. Natalie was jumping on her bed now,

"And, and and guess what, I just remembered, it's a Hogsmeade weekend, so we can all go play in the snow! Ginny are you going with Terry again or do we get to keep you to ourselves this time and go sledding?" Lord, Natalie loved snow way too much, maybe it was because she finally got to wear her knitted pink mittens with the matching scarf and hat.

"Natalie, go back to sleep," came Lindy's voice from the far corner of the tower room, "It looks cold and nasty outside right now okay, I'll play when the sun comes out," she wasn't really a morning person.

"Oh you people are hopeless, I am going to go downstairs to have an early breakfast and then I'm finding someone who will build a snowman with me and I don't care if I have to ask a Slytherin, oh speaking of Slytherin's check the note Ginny I want to see what charming thing he's said this time," she could talk the pants off of anyone.

"Fine, I'm up," Ginny mumbled, careful to put socks one before her feet touched the floor she reached for the note, and read it out loud, _Don't you just adore snow, I certainly do, perhaps I'll see you in Hogsmeade today and we can have a butterbeer and a chat. _

"Well, that was disappointing, no declarations of love or poems to make your legs turn to jelly," Lindy mumbled, but Natalie was bouncing on the bed again,

"Oh don't you see Lindy, He asked her out, sort of, but in a way so that if she didn't feel comfortable she didn't have to accept,"

"Yeah, super clever of him," Ginny mumbled before dragging her but into the shower.

Draco had no idea why he'd sent that message. Even if he was trying to seduce Red it didn't mean he had to waste a perfectly good Hogsmeade trip with her. _Unless of course you don't just want to seduce her for fun and you actually want to spend time with her, _an annoying voice in his head chided. _As if, _he told that stupid little possibly correct voice, he was offering to buy her a drink, it didn't mean he needed to spend the whole day with the girl.

He pulled on a comfortable pair of jeans and a black leather jacket before heading down to the Great Hall to grab a bite of breakfast to tide him over until the stupid lunch he had planned with the annoying little Weaselette who was spending far too much time on his mind lately. Pansy looked at his distracted face and simpered,

"Tell me you aren't going to spend your day with that little slut you kissed at the Halloween dance, are you Draco?" Merlin her voice annoyed him,

"None of your dam business Pansy," he scolded before leaving the hall alone to find some peace and quiet where he could tell his inner voice to shut up.

Ginny meandered around Hogsmeade with the ladies until the sun started to come out from behind to stormy gray clouds, _exactly the colour of Draco's eyes, mmm, Oh lordy, since when did she think of the Ferret as 'Draco' that was not safe. No no no no no, nothing was going to buy her affection, she needed to find Terry right away and snog him senseless just so she could be brought back to her senses. _Indeed her relationship with Terry had developed into something along the lines of 'kissing friends' he hadn't specifically asked her to be his girlfriend yet, even though she probably would have said yes.

The Hydra went off to have a snow fight, Jessica had wanted her to come with them but Natalie had insisted upon her going to meet Malfoy for a drink,

"NO no no, Jess, remember the dress, I don't care if you think he's trying to buy her, that dress is damn gorgeous and frankly so is he, Ginny is going,"

"Wow, thank you for making up my mind for me," Ginny huffed, but it was no use fighting Natalie, she was a force of nature. So Ginny headed off towards the Three Broomsticks with a heavy heart and a curious head.

"Hey little Red," came his sultry voice from a table in the corner, Ginny saw the Fabulous Trio giving her a weird look, she shrugged at them and went to nervously sit with the owner of that amazing voice. He looked at her sadly, well maybe it wasn't sadness. She stared at him a little longer before she decided that the odd expression on his gorgeous face was confusion and denial.

"I umm," he started awkwardly, Ginny pursed her lips and looked at him with her head tipped slightly to the side, he never stumbled over words. She gave him a small smile of encouragement, "I was wondering, if I hadn't bought you the dress, would you still be sitting here?" well, that was unexpected. Would she be sitting there, maybe not, it was gratitude that had caused her to dance with him after all. But then, the notes – not the flowers – the notes had been so funny and charming,

"I'm not sure, the dress was gorgeous and now I sort of feel like I owe you, as much as I hate that. But I think that those notes might have dragged me here, even if you hadn't sent the dress," why was she being so honest? "I mean, I'm curious, there seems to be whole different side to you that no one has even bothered to pay attention to,"

He didn't know what to think. Was he coming to the end of his game? Did he want that?

"I'm glad," _where did those words come from, oh merlin she looks pretty right now with that habit of biting her lip when she's nervous._

"Oh um, right, I did offer you a drink," he held up his hand for Rosmerta to see and ordered a couple of butterbeers, "Do you mind that your friends are staring at us right now?"

_Where were these words coming from, he didn't care about her feelings, aside from how it factored into his plan to humiliate her and Potter. _

"No I don't care what they think, I'll tell them I was thanking you for the flowers, they all saw them, and you offered me a drink, like any rich gentleman would do in the presence of a lady,"

"so you think I'm a gentleman now do you? I thought that term was reserved for lover-boy Boot," he gave her another one of those smiles that lit his whole face up,

"No, I think that you were raised in a wealthy society where manners are important," _am I actually having a civil conversation with Malfoy, huh, maybe I am and it isn't half bad. He's actually being sort of nice. _

Their drinks arrived with a curious looking Madame Rosmerta, she knew most of her student clientele and she knew that Draco Malfoy did NOT sit with Ginny Weasley.

The next twenty minutes passed with companionable chatter about Quidditch (not the school teams, professional ones) their favourite candies – who would have known they both had a sweet tooth! – and other things that seemed to be nothing and everything at the same time.

Ginny took the last sip of her butterbeer and was almost disappointed to discover that her cup was empty, _it's not because I no longer have an excuse to talk to Malfoy, it's because I like butterbeer, yeah that's totally it. _Draco watched her face intently as her emotions conflicted with her thoughts. He grinned to himself; little Red was such an easy target and he'd thought that making her fall for him would be a challenge; something to do for fun.

"Well," Ginny sat up straighter, "thank you for the drink and the conversation, this wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined it would be," she gave him what could have passed for a smile – if you were a moron with no knowledge of human expression.

"You are quite welcome Red, maybe we'll do this again," oh that smile could have coaxed a bird from its nest.

"Don't you be betting on it," she gave him a real smile this time before heading over to sit with the Golden Trio.

"What were you doing sitting with Malfoy?"

"Did he blackmail you into doing that?"

"You've finally lost your mind haven't you Ginny, I'm going to write mum and dad about this tonight," Ron's comment freaked Ginny out,

"No! I mean, really Ronald there isn't a need, I was thanking him for the flowers he sent me and he offered to buy me a drink, it wasn't a big deal, I'm sure that with the company he's used to keeping that buying a girl a drink isn't really something to think twice about," she smiled at the look of confusion on Ronald's face; he pulled his eyebrows down and bit the insides of his cheeks,

"Okay, fine, but don't let that happen again, Malfoy is a creep and you know it,"

"Ronald, he wasn't half bad, we talked about Quidditch and candy, not about torture methods," she was feeling huffy and defensive. _I'm not defending him, I'm defending myself and my right to talk to whomever I wish, _she convinced herself.

"Not half bad, please Ginny that guy is demonic," Harry looked at her with those big green eyes and Ginny was very suddenly reminded of a house elf

"I didn't forget everything he's done, I'm just saying that this time he wasn't like that, now let it alone alright," the defensive tone was now blatantly obvious in her voice but the trio left it alone, "Okay well I think I'm going to go find the ladies now, they wanted to play in the snow, see you around," she grabbed her coat from the back of her chair, swung it around her shoulders and left the building in a storm of confusion.

The day didn't go anything like Draco had planned. That annoying little inner voice had taken over the entire conversation. He hadn't been seductive or charming; he'd been simple; talking about Quidditch and all sorts of other average things. Merlin what had gotten into him?

Was this game with Weaselette turning out to be too much for him to handle? Should he stop altogether or just stop the game part and make it real? It was too much. The only thing that settled his mind was the memory of Ginny giving him a genuine smile before she defended him to her peers. It had made him feel good; to be talked about it a positive light instead of whispered about with fear and hatred. And her smile made her whole face light up, he would have believed it if someone told him time had stopped when she smiled. _Gah, what's wrong with me, getting all mushy over the Weaselette. Must stop this. _His inner romantic voice interrupted, _you need to make her like you for real Draco, no more games, if you want her to smile like that at you again this needs to stop being a game and start being real. _Draco gave a heavy sigh, his inner voice was right, he wanted it be real; wanted to make her smile like that again, wanted to give her things because she deserved them and not being he was trying to buy her affection. He was falling for the Weaselette.


	9. Decisions

Ginny was sitting in her dorm room alone the next evening when she saw the card glow. Rolling her eyes she picked it up and read the new message, _I didn`t mean for this to happen, promise, but it did. I need to talk to you. Fly down to the Quidditch pitch?_

He sounded almost flustered. _Hell, why not? _Was all Ginny could think before she picked up her broom and a jacket and slipped out the window. Her hair splayed behind her like a trail of fire. Keeping close to the castle to avoid the wind Ginny watched for windows the make sure nobody would spot her flying by. She was lucky, not a soul in sight.

The pitch grew near and she saw his pale head. _Last chance Ginny, turn back now or you're going to have to talk to him. _She kept going for reasons unknown to everyone except that little inner voice that referred to the ferret as 'Draco'.

"Ginny, thanks for coming, I wasn't sure you would," he sounded so relieved it was impossible not to smile,

"What did you mean when you said you hadn't meant for this to happen? What happened that wasn't supposed to?" she set herself down beside him on the stands and took a seat. He sighed and looked away from her,

"I want you to listen to me okay, listen and don't say anything until I'm finished," he waited for Ginny to nod her approval being continuing, "at the beginning of the year I was bored, I wanted to have something to do to keep me entertained. That was when I started thinking about what a good game it would be to make you fall for me, then tell you I was joking, it would be brilliant to get revenge on Potter," He looked Ginny, as if to make sure she was still there, "So I gave you flowers and I bought the dress, but lately, well ever since the Halloween ball really, that I've been wondering if it was more than just a game to me, and it is, yesterday proved that to me," he looked up at Ginny, who sat still for a few seconds to confirm that he was done with his story before she spoke,

"I knew you didn't fancy me Malfoy," she giggled, "I knew there was another motive," the look on his face was devastating,

"But that's just the thing, I don't want it to be a game anymore, I want it to be….real," he sounded so shy, so honest that it broke Ginny's heart,

"I don't know what to tell you, I mean, I have been seeing this different side to you, a side that maybe someday, I could like, but if everything except yesterday was fake then you don't have a lot to recommend yourself to me," she was trying to be logical, deal with everything in a straight forward manner that would make sense, _no way is my silly little heart, which is going a mile a minute, going to take control of this conversation, _

"well then, I'll just have to change that won't I?" the scotch voice was back and it sent shivers down her spine. Eyes wide open she watched as he reached out and pulled her closer, before taking her chin in his warm fingers and giving her to gentlest, softest, most tempting kiss she'd ever had,

"There," he whispered as he pulled away, "That was real," he was about to get up and walk away when she cried out,

"Draco wait," he paused and this time it was her reaching towards him and pressing her lips to his. This kiss wasn't gentle or soft; it contained every ounce of desire that the both of them felt.

"That's how you kiss a girl you like," she said as she pulled away, clambered back onto her broom and flew away before she could do anything more rash than what had already occurred. He just sat there on the bench and watched her leave.

Upon arriving back in her dorm, Ginny felt like a mouse in a trap. The Hydra was waiting for her with curious, gossipy expressions. She would have sworn that they could taste a scandal from a mile away.

"Well well well, what have we here," Lindy grinned evilly,

"A little bird flown to nest," Jess chimed in,

"and it comes back with swollen lips, how…interesting," Natalie finished. Ginny tried to ignore them and walk around their eager selves but there was just no way that they were going to let that happen,

"Not so fast love bird," Lindy tossed out her arms to stop Ginny from bolting, "We read the note, now tell us everything," there was no escaping this. Ginny folded and told them everything, how he had faked everything but now wanted it to be real, about both kisses and about how conflicted she felt about him.

"Darling dearest," Natalie began, "no need for conflict here, give him a chance to prove to you that he isn't an evil little bastard and then pass judgement, if he can turn himself around then nothing's been lost, and if he can't, well won't it be nice to be able to snog a gorgeous guy like him for a few months?" Natalie certainly had an interesting way of thinking,

"But what would I tell Terry? How could I do that to him? He's been wonderful, a total gentleman, I don't know what to do," the tears started rolling down her face and it wasn't long before it was a full on flood.

"Ginny, this is your choice and we won't make up your mind for you okay, but I think you should give him a chance," Jess spoke the words softly as she patted Ginny on the back,

"Yeah," Lindy agreed, "give it some time and just see what happens, you don't have to choose, you and Terry aren't official I mean, it's not like he has a claim to you or anything," this caused Ginny to hiccup,

"okay, okay, thanks ladies I think I'll just get some rest now, after all, I've got that game against Slytherin tomorrow and we play Ravenclaw in a week, I'll wait until after both games are done so that my Quidditch playing doesn't get affected by my love life," Ginny spoke firmly for a girl in tears. With a final pat on the back the ladies left her to her own devices.

Quidditch was like crack to the student body at Hogwarts and nobody was more addicted than the players themselves. Ginny awoke the morning of the game against Slytherin knowing that she was going to be brilliant. No pre-game jitters for her, just a whole bunch and energy and awesomeness. She leapt out of bed without socks on – she was that excited – and revelled in the feel of the frozen floor against her feet. Nothing was going to get her down on that particular day. She grabbed a quick breakfast from the Great Hall – the rest of the team was down their staring blankly at pieces of toast and looking green; oh how they wished they felt like Ginny before a game. With a smile and a 'happy game day' she was off again to collect her broom and run outside to check the conditions.

It was a perfect day for Quidditch, the sun was hiding behind the clouds so she wasn't going to be blinded and there was the faintest of breezes that would wick sweat away from her body and keep her cool. Ginny shivered with joy as she went inside to change into her robes and join her team.

Harry gave the team a long lecture about how important this game was and how much they needed to win. Ginny was nearly snoring by the time Madam Hooch called them out onto the pitch.

"Now, I want a nice, clean game," she looked pointedly at the Slytherin team. Malfoy shook hands with Harry and the game began. Ginny swiftly gained control of the quaffle and scored three times before the Slytherin chasers warmed up enough to start playing properly. The score was 90 – 50 in favour of the Gryffindor's when she spotted him watching her, _shouldn't he be keeping his eyes out for the snitch, not ogling at me? _Well wasn't that the truth of it. Losing her cool as Malfoy began to dive towards her she tossed the Quaffle towards Katie in hopes that Slytherin wouldn't gain possession. Malfoy was a foot away from her, she flinched, and nothing happened. He had pulled out of the dive and was now zipping upwards with Harry close on his tail, _oh Merlin, the snitch must have been right on top of me, _she shook out the shock of nearly being hit,

"Ginny get your head in the game!" Ron yelled at her from the goalposts – Harry, who normally would have done the yelling, was still zigzagging around with Malfoy in a desperate effort to catch the elusive snitch. Ginny snapped her broom around and dashed after the Slytherin chaser who had the quaffle. Stealing it from him she tossed it to Dean and he threw it through a hoop with something that was almost elegant,

"100 to 50 for Gryffindor, no wait, make that 100 to 60 for Gryffindor, Slytherin scores while Ginny Weasley looks distracted," the announcer said in a quick quip of a voice. _Get your head in the game girl _she chastised herself.

To her credit Ginny scored twice more, Katie took two goals for herself and Dean, well, he assisted a lot. Slytherin pulled back with six rapid goals of their own bringing the score up to 140 – 110. It was getting close. Ginny looked around for Harry, he needed to catch the nitch now before her empty-headedness cost them the game.

"And I think he's seen the snitch, yes indeed Potter has seen it people," the announcer screamed, "Has he got it, YES, Potter catches the snitch and the game ends with a score of 290 to 110 for Gryffindor!" Ginny sighed with relief, it didn't matter that her head was in the clouds they had won anyway. Harry gave her a quick hug before he went to congratulate the rest of the team. The party in the Gryffindor tower was going to be immense.

Looking over her shoulder she spotted Malfoy with the rest of his team, he saw her looking and gave her a bit of a shrug which she supposed was his way of saying 'good game'.

The party was astounding but Ginny wouldn't know because she didn't go. Upon going back up to her dorm that night she had seen the once again changed card, this time it read; _Why don't we have our own celebration? Fly down to me? _Who was she to resist? Her broomstick had been snatched up and she was out the window in a flash – despite not being in her school robes, instead she was in jeans and a white tank.

There he was, her enemy turned miracle. He was sitting with a basket beside him and a blanket to cover the seats. She couldn't help but smile, Terry might be a charmer but Draco was something else entirely.

"Hey Red, good game today," it was a humble compliment because it came at his own loss, and so she appreciated it all the more.

"Thank you, you really freaked me out when you started diving towards me," she laughed at her own empty-headedness

"You truly should have seen your face," he laughed with her then opened the basket to revel a selection of candies, pasties, and a couple bottles of butterbeer. _Wow, he actually listened when we talked about candy in Hogsmeade, listened and remembered, point one for Draco. _

They sat in a comfortable silence as they ate their sweets and drank the warming drinks. At one point Ginny had started to shiver – after all, a tank top on a November evening in Scotland was pushing it a little. It had seemed like a thoughtless gesture but Draco had taken off his own coat and handed it to her. It was warm and it smelt blissfully like him, that spicy smell that was entirely his own. She had no shame in breathing it in.

It was the perfect celebration. 


	10. What Should Have Been a Musical

The week passed by in a haze of potion smoke, badly done transfigurations, exploding eyebrows and melting caldrons. For Ginny it was also filled with anticipation for the Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw game that would be held on Saturday. Terry had told her that he wanted to win but he would be happy for her if she won. Ginny didn't want to talk about it; she wanted another midnight picnic with Draco. But nobody needed to know that, after all, Draco was enemy number one on Ron and Harry's list.

Friday morning she was eating in the Great Hall with her back to Terry so she could watch Draco interact with his minions. The only downside to that was the inability to see when Terry was sneaking up on her. His hands slid down her waist in an odd sort of hug. She turned around with a smile,

"Good morning Ginny," he smiled at her, flashing a full set of very white teeth,

"Good morning Terry," she hoped nothing was stuck in her teeth

"I just wanted to wish you a good day and say that Ravenclaw is going to whip you tomorrow," he was sorry that he'd said it the moment the words left his chiselled lips.

"Yeah um, about that Terry, I don't think so," she stood up carefully – elegance was going to be crucial for her dramatic exit – "Because we, is gonna whip your ass," she added a swing to her hips as she pirouetted and left the Hall with everyone watching her go, mouths gaping and eyes wide. The rest of the team stood up and left the hall, Gryffindor's had a thing for drama and they couldn't let the moment go.

Dinner came with a certain amount of pomp. The team waited outside the hall for Ginny; determined to make a show. Ginny half expected them to burst into song and dance their way into the hall – sadly, nothing of the sort happened. They formed a `V` shape with Harry in the lead, followed by Ginny and Ron, then Katie and Dean, then their infamous beaters Kent and Travis. Harry shoved the doors open and walked into the hall followed closely by his team who kept their faces serious in order to create as much drama as possible. About halfway down the length of their table they turned to face the Ravenclaw's. The girls blew kisses and the boys shook their heads in a menacing manner. There should have been a soundtrack. The Hufflepuff's started laughing, quickly followed by Slytherin jeers. The Ravenclaw's look affronted. Terry just looked at Ginny with a blank expression; she knew he hadn't meant to cross the line by talking about Quidditch, but relationship rules had to be followed and something as important as the school Quidditch cup was not to be joked about.

With her back to Terry she looked at Draco, he raised his glass in a toast to her followed by a wink. She raised her glass back and gave him a smile.

"Ginny, what are you doing?" _oops, damn curious Ronald, can't he be as oblivious as he looks, Merlin._

"I am raising my glass to a person that I have come to respect, as far as his talent as Quidditch and his ability to show me that he isn't completely evil," she tried to smile as she said it but the look on Ron's face made her shrink back, _he wasn't ready for that, better take it back, _"I'm kidding Ronald, goodness, it was a toast of mockery, Merlin," she stuffed some potatoes in her mouth to give her an excuse for not talking.

"Oh, well I guess that's okay then, just don't start getting cozy with him Ginny, remember who his father is," he was trying so hard to sound grown up, Ginny snorted and ended up with pumpkin juice coming out of her nose,

"Went down the wrong pipe," she said lamely, but nobody was listening anymore, Hermione was reading something about 20 inches thick while Ron and Harry talked Quidditch. She used to opportunity to look over at Draco and give him a wink of her own. If he was going to play with her heartstrings with nothing but his voice she was going to return the favour.

Dinner was finished in its own good time and Ginny left the hall in relative secrecy. Outside she bumped into her former favourite person who also happened to be the last person she wanted to talk to the night before the game. Crème-de-menthe.

"What's gotten into you Ginny, you know I was joking this morning, come on," begging didn't suit Terry, he was designed for being in charge and not talking shite from anyone.

"I know you were joking Terry, you couldn't have been serious about beating me tomorrow," she gave him a tight smile that showed how much she didn't want to be talking,

"Oh Gin don't be that way," he put his hand on her cheek and she couldn't help but lean into it and closing her eyes, "Come on girl.." his voice trailed off as he leaned in towards her,

"Oi, hands off," Scotch was back, _couldn't he have waited for just a few more seconds, just because I'm being mad at Terry right now it doesn't mean I can't enjoy his kisses,_

"Draco its okay," she tried to blow it off,

"No, it's not okay, he's trying to screw with you so that you'll mess up tomorrow, and rigging Quidditch games isn't something I believe in," _Thank Merlin, disguising jealousy as respect for a clean Quidditch game, that's actually kind of genius. _

"He has a point Terry, I don't want your kisses on my mind tomorrow or tonight while I'm trying to sleep either," this still wasn't going the way she wanted it to, or was it, _Terry could be like a cover story, I can stay friendly with him so that if I ever need to sneak off to see Draco I can tell dear Ronald that I'm just seeing Terry, Ronald doesn't object to Terry, lords above I should have been in Slytherin. _She gave the boys a lasting smile before running off up the stairs. Voices trailed behind her,

"Stay away from her," that was Terry,

"You scared?" yum, scotch and whiskey 

"Yes, and I should be, you're a good for nothing Slytherin who won't treat her like she deserves," _awe well wasn't that sweet of him, _"She deserves someone with a good family, someone who will be accepted in her life," _never mind he was being an arsehole. _Draco's clear laughter echoed in the halls,

"Something tell me that a girl like Red isn't going to shy away from a challenge," _mmm, no I am not, not when the challenge sounds that intoxicating, I'm drunk just listening to his voice, Merlin have mercy._


	11. Someday, Maybe

The morning of the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw dawned just as Ginny opened her eyes. Rising as early as ever she snuck out of her dorm; careful not to awaken the Hydra, who despised opening its eyes before the sun was thoroughly up.

She slipped out the common room like a shadow in the dark. Not even the Fat Lady twitched as she tip toed past. The Great Hall was open and breakfast was on the table for the early risers. Only a scattering of people lined the Hall; mainly Hufflepuffs. She grabbed a bowl of porridge, covered it in honey and brown sugar. Topped off the whole ensemble with fresh strawberries and kiwis then headed outside.

There was a slight drizzle of rain coming down but nothing bad enough to stop the game – or at least get anyone really wet. She breathed in the air deeply, pulling it into her lungs.

"It's nice out here isn't it," she closed her eyes and allowed a small smile to cross her lips,

"I love rainy mornings," she turned to look at Draco, his eyes looked like storm clouds; brooding and wonderful.

"You look lovely in the morning by the way, that sleepy look suits you, I just hope you aren't actually as sleepy as you look, I have a bet on you to make good on your promise to Boot," they both laughed at the dramatic events of the day before. Ginny hoped she hadn't actually hurt Terry; not if she wanted her new plan of 'Ron thinks I'm dating him while I'm actually with his worst enemy'.

"What are we Draco? You kissed me and you told me you liked me but I still don't know what we are," she looked into those intoxicating silver eyes, this man, this terrible man made her drunk.

"What do you want us to be Ginny?" he looked so honest and open, so willing to do anything it made her heart break to tell him anything but the truth,

"I want to give us a try, but I don't want to tell my family or my friends because they'll hate you, they always have hated you, Merlin I hated you, but I feel bad asking you to do that, so I'm confused and I don't know what to tell you," she shook her head as she leant into his chest, he rubbed her back and put his head down on top of hers,

"I'll be whatever you want me to be Red, if you want this to be a secret then I'll be secretive, but I'm also going to be honest, I don't want this to be a secret I want to tell the world that you're mine," he gently kissed the top of her head, to him it was like kissing a flame; like butterfly wings on the edge of a wildfire.

"Thank you," she whispered as she pulled her head away from his chest in order to give him a proper kiss, "Maybe someday they'll be ready for something like this, someday," she felt him smile against her neck and he nuzzled her,

"I'll wait for that moment forever," he said, it should have sounded sappy and tacky but coming from him it was only perfection, "Good luck today, you are going to be amazing," he gave her one last sad little smile before walking away.

Her porridge was cold but it didn't matter, she wasn't hungry anymore. She just wanted to win so that Ron would be happy; maybe even happy enough so that someday could come a little bit sooner.

"Blah blah blah we are going to be awesome, blah blah blah," Ginny was sure that Harry was saying something very motivational and awesome but she couldn't help it. His grey eyes were haunting her, "Ginny, are you listening to me?" _oh damn, I need to learn how to look like I'm paying attention, _

"Yep, play like we have in practice and Ravenclaw doesn't have a chance," this was one of Harry's favourite lines; he just interchanged the name of the opposing team. Harry nodded like he was convinced; _Merlin he needs to change his inspirational lines if that can fool him. _

"Let's go," Ginny slowly stood up and cleared her head. Her love life needed to be set aside for now; Quidditch was going to be her life and boys in school were more than likely just a phase. Priorities were important.

The air was as clear as it had been an hour before and the rain had stopped. Clouds lingered, threatening to begin a downpour if anyone doubted their power. Madame Hooch asked for a clean game and for the captains to shake hands then they were off. Ginny grabbed the quaffle right off the bat, passed to Katie who passed to Dean who passed back to Katie who passed it back to Ginny who scored. Terry looked at her menacingly, his stare said everything 'I like you Ginny but I am so not going to be soft on you because of that'. Ginny gave him the same look and scored again saying in their silent language that he didn't have to go easy; she would whip him anyway.

The game continued on in that fashion. Each team playing for the pride of not only winning a match but the authority to enter the Great Hall without being ashamed; on that scale the Gryffindors had more to lose.

In the end it didn't matter. Ravenclaw got the snitch but Ginny and her fellow chasers had scored so many points that they won anyway. Ginny went to shake the hand of their seeker, a fourth year who she hadn't met before,

"Good job, not many people can say they beat Harry Potter to the snitch when there weren't dementors around," she gave him a smile, he laughed nervously in response,

"Thanks, you're Ginny Weasley right?" wow, not one person in the entire school didn't know her name,

"Yeah that's right, I'm sorry I don't know your name," _this is awkward, I wish I knew the kids name,_

"John, John Peirce," he nodded calmly like he didn't expect her to know who he was,

"Nice to meet you John, hey would you mind telling Terry that Red says 'good game'?" he looked disappointed, as if he had expected her to be his new best friend and not show favourites towards other older, more handsome people,

"Um yeah I can tell him that," he gave one of those odd bobbing head nods then walked away with a sad little wave,

"Hey John!" he turned excitedly, maybe hoping she'd changed her mind, "Thanks,"

"For giving Terry the message? You don't need to thank me for that,"

"Oh but I really do John, I really do," there, that was mysterious to keep the little prodigy seeker happy for a few days.

She was walking back into the castle when she was once again snatched at the waist and pulled behind a statue,

"You fly like a bird little Red," _damn it all its Terry, play it cool, you want this to work remember,_

"Thank you, you're not so bad yourself," she giggled softly as he ran his hands down her back, she was used to this; they had done it plenty of times before Draco had waltzed into the picture,

"What did you do to my seeker though; he was completely flustered when he gave me your message," she gave him a 'what do you think I did look' he raised his eyebrows and she nodded, whatever he thought she was implying it was turning him on. He leaned in to kiss her and,

"Oi, Boot, hands off my sister," _damn it all Ronald, _

"Ronald, need I remind you again that I can do whatever I please with whomever I please without asking you for permission?" she wrapped her arms around Terry, _Merlin above this had better fool Ron. _

"It doesn't matter Ginny, just don't go about giving every Ravenclaw you see pity snogs behind every bloody statue,"

"Temper, temper," _Ahhh, my dark hero to the rescue, thank you oh gracious Draco, _"are you really that protective of dear Red's virtue Weasley? Or is it just the idea of a Ravenclaw being so close to your sister that makes you this angry, because if that's the case I completely understand, I'm almost sick myself just watching this little scene," he looked at Ginny as he said that, silver eyes pained beyond belief. _This morning I told him I wanted to give us a try and now he finds me hiding behind a statue about to snog the enemy, damn it all again and again and again. I need to explain that Terry is just an alibi. _

"You shut up Ferret this isn't any of your business," _Draco was right, temper temper indeed. _

"Fair enough Weasley," he gave a small nod, "Boot," another nod, "Red," a nod and small frown. _Please don't kill me, please. _


	12. Challenged Promises

The flowers had changed. Instead of red roses mixed with wild blossoms there was a sleek bouquet of black roses. _Oh lord, please don't say I've ruined my chances by trying to create an alibi. _There was another note tucked within the dark stems, _Why? _

_ No no no no no, this wasn't happening. _Why did she even care so much? It wasn't like she was in love with him or anything, was she? He was still the same jerk she'd known for six years, wasn't he? What did it matter if nothing ever worked out or happened between the two of them? It wasn't like she was ever going to introduce him to her family, like he was ever going to ask her father if he could have her hand. If that wasn't where this was going to end up then why was it so important? She could have fun with other people; less dangerous people.

He would be waiting for her in the stands; in their place. She knew it, he would wait for her and if she didn't come she would never see him again. At least, not the man she had come to appreciate. _Damn it. _She picked up her broom, left a note for the Hydra (who was appreciating the party in the common room) and jumped.

There was no blanket, no picnic, and no smile on his full lips. Ginny closed her eyes and prayed that when she opened them again everything would be different. It wasn't.

"Why'd you do that Ginny, this morning you said you wanted to give this, whatever this is, a chance and what sort of a chance do you think we have if you're hiding behind statues with Boot?" he hardly even raised his velvety voice and that made it all the more terrifying. Ginny stood there and let it wash over her, she deserved his anger.

"I don't get it Red," there was that sad, honest voice again. Merlin she had only ever known him to be a sarcastic prick and now this gentle voice was all she could think about.

"I didn't want to have to lie to Ron, I thought that if I stayed 'friends' with Terry, that every time I snuck off to see you that Ron would think I was seeing Terry, then I wouldn't be lying," she looked at her feet, _why didn't I put shoes on? Oh that's right because I'm an idiot who snuck out of the castle in the middle of the night to talk with my family's worst enemy, way to go Ginevra. _

"Oh that's rich Red, you snogged Boot to give us a chance, wow, somehow I just don't believe you," he rolled his eyes and the sneer she was so used to surfaced again,

"Please, please Draco, people make mistakes, I make mistakes, but before I beg on my knees for forgiveness I want to ask you something," he indicated that she should ask away, "Where do you see this going? I mean, what's the point of risking the love and trust of my family if this isn't going to end up anywhere, I try to make good decision for my life Draco and if I'm going to do this then I want to make sure that it isn't going to be a mistake," he took a stride towards her and held out his arms, all was forgiven, he could see how scared and how sorry she was,

"Choosing me will possibly be the stupidest decision you'll ever make, but I hope you do anyway," he whispered into her hair before placing a kiss on the top of her head, "You know I can't make promises about how this is going to turn out, but I can promise that as long as you're willing to work for this, than I will be too," she smiled into his chest and hugged him tighter,

"Why me Draco, you hate my family, you hate everything about me, so why me?" she looked up from his firm chest to look into those stormy eyes, a smile crossed them,

"I've had plenty of 'yes' women in my life Ginevra, plenty of girls saying 'yes Draco, of course Draco,' you are possibly the only woman who has ever looked me in the eyes and told me that I'm an ass, and meant it, you are unique, and strong, and vibrant, you are a force of nature, and I'm trapped in the storm,"

"Oh Merlin that was cheesy," but she smiled as she said it, he leant in with a question in his eyes she nodded. The kiss started out gently but progressed quickly to something much, much more.

She re-entered the room with swollen lips.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, how dare you skip another victory party," Natalie shook her curls in distaste,

"You had better have a good excuse for this you know," Jess chimed in before changing into her pyjamas,

"And by the look of thine lips and the shine of thine eyes, I would not trust the words from this sirens tongue me-ladies, for she hath been touched by whom we call Serpent," Lindy had been reading old muggle books lately and had found a kindred spirit within a man called William Shakespeare. Ginny smiled and responded in kind,

"For thine eyes do not deceive you dear friend, mine soul hath been stolen by the Serpent, and mine heart hath vanished with it, for what do I see before me, hath the blossoms changed once more?" the girls giggled and looked to the flowers. The black roses had vanished and had been replaced with a simply arrangement of irises; white with purple centers. Ginny picked up the note, as always it read something new, _Why me little Red? _Good question.

"Yeah little Red, why him? Was it the money, his gorgeous face, the hot bod? What exactly was it that drew you to the dragon's lair?" Ginny raised a threatening brow,

"Twas the treasure he hid within the lair that tempted mine pure heart, for I knew that beneath the scales and glamour there was a beating heart of gold,"

"Merlin Ginny his heart ain't gold, its onyx, call it a jewel if you like but it's black as night," Jessica piped up from under her pillow, she loved gossip, but the _loved _sleep. They all laughed at that one. Ginny stopped mid-giggle to think, why did she choose him? She could joke all she wanted about his good looks, charm, elegance and money, but those things were of minor importance to her. Was it the challenge, the sense of danger, or was there something else to him, something she could sense but couldn't see. Was it that she knew that somewhere beneath his armour there was a pure spirit hiding? That for some reason he wasn't like his father? Perhaps.

Sunday morning dawned and Draco stretched out his pale arms. It was the last day of November, and Christmas holidays would be starting in two weeks. If he didn't want Red talking herself out of this during the holidays he had two weeks to make her believe she loved him.

"Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, wake up I want to talk to you about something," he heard three grunts in response, Crabbe and Goyle would follow his orders but Blaise was going to be another matter; he had authority in his own right.

"What is it Malfoy, why must I wake up at this unearthly hour on a Sunday?" Regardless Blaise got up,

"Ginny Weasley," he watched for their reactions, Crabbe and Goyle didn't twitch, they obviously didn't think anything, well that wasn't exactly surprising. The look on Blaise's face was the same yet different; he had a forced blank look, he thought something but wasn't going to share just yet.

"What about her?" his voice was cold but the tone was even,

"What do you think of her? Pretty? Blood-traitor? Good Quidditch player? What do you think?" again, his face was an ice carving; cold and calculating.

"She's pretty, nobody is going to deny it, she's a dab hand at Quidditch as well, she'll probably play professionally later, people say she's clever and witty, but her entire family is a bunch of filthy blood-traitors," he turned away as if there was nothing else to talk about, then tacked on to the end – as if he couldn't help it – "Why do you ask?" Crabbe and Goyle unfroze at this and began to look interested,

"I've been seeing her on the sly, she quite the wild card," Blaise just laughed,

"Funny man Malfoy, I'll give you that," he continued to look through his clothes, picking out a pair of jeans from a superfluous pile of denim.

"I'm serious Zabini, and I want your help, I'll admit I'm not fond of her family but she's an interesting girl and I'd like to be able to keep her for a while," Blaise looked at him with an eyebrow raised, the question was clear, "Okay, okay, you already know that I planned to make her fall for me this year, as a joke, I didn't intend for this to happen Blaise, honest, but you try spending time with that girl and see if you don't fall for her," his voice was raised by this point, Blaise laughed opening,

"The Slytherin Prince fell for the little Queen of Gryffindor, I must say Draco I didn't think that Malfoy's allowed themselves to fall for people that were out of bounds, but if you insist, then whatever, at least she's a pure-blood, that's something," Crabbe an Goyle nodded along with this mindlessly,

"Good, then I want your help with something…"


	13. Potions, Roses, and a Start

Monday mornings were a gift from you-know-who as far as Ginny was concerned. Seriously, what was up with Monday's; they came just as you started getting used to sleeping late, and they always showed up just when you realized that your homework wasn't done. Honestly, Ginny had never had a good Monday – holidays were naturally exempt from this judgement.

She dragged herself out of bed with the ladies, pulled on jeans and a tank under her robes, dabbed on makeup until she looked awake and reasonably alert; then grabbed her bag and rushed off to breakfast. Her entrance into the Great Hall must have triggered some sort of magical switch because the moment she walked through those double doors it started raining rose petals.

Ginny, in mock ignorance looked around the hall, her eyes locked with Terry's who just shook his head, then to Harry who shrugged one shoulder with a look as if he wished he had thought of doing something like that for in the infamous Jess (with whom he had gotten nowhere with, courtesy of a protective Ginny). She glanced briefly at the few others whom she knew liked her before slowly letting her eyes drift over to the culprit. His silver eyes flashed with pride as she acknowledged him. Rose petals were his signature after all.

As she walked to her seat the petal-rain followed her, like her own personal haven of awesomeness. She was pleased to note that when the petals touched food they disappeared, _that is some clever magic. _

A flash of gold drew her attention. A minute owl had flown in and had landed on her plate; it carried a single rose in its miniature talons. Soon after the first golden owl – she wasn't exaggerating the owls literally looked like they were made of gold with jewels, onyx to be ironically exact, for eyes – another several dozen flew in, each with its own rose. Her plate was soon filled with an elegant stack of white roses. One last owl drifted in with a gilded note in his regal beak.

"Read it out loud Ginny, everyone is waiting," Hermione hissed in her ear, Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend before humbly looking up to see that indeed every person in the hall was avidly waiting for her to read the note; teachers included. Snape didn't even look upset; he either knew that it was Draco's doing or the man was a secret romantic. Ginny slipped her finger under the seal on the envelope and pulled out a piece of card paper, looking around nervously she read it aloud,

_"I said before that you are a force of nature and that I was caught in the storm, and I'll say it again and again and again, until you believe me. But for now I will say only that I wish I could shout to the world that you are mine, however since I cannot do so, I'll stop at showing the word that you belong to someone, because I have to keep the hands of all other men away from you somehow," _

Ginny laughed allowed with the rest of the school as she read the last few lines. He was witty in his own way and devilishly clever. _The boy knows how to get what he wants; he wants me to belong solely to him so he scares off every other man within a mile of me with an impressive show of magic and adoration, clever Dragon. _Ginny looked up at him and gave a soft smile; trying to make it look as if she were only smiling to herself. The note she tucked inside her bag but the flowers she didn't know what to do with. There wasn't time to take them up to her dorm before classes and there was no way she was going to carry them around all day.

The problem disappeared when the touched the bouquet of roses. They changed quickly into a small wrist corsage. It was pretty and convenient. Not to mention it would remind everyone of the events of that morning.

That soft smile was all he needed to see. She was beyond happy. It was obvious that nobody had ever done anything like that for her before. True, he couldn't have pulled off the golden owls without Blaise – who had an eye for that sort of thing – but still, it was the most he had ever done for a girl. _She's bewitching me, somehow Red has managed to steal my heart and funnily enough, I couldn't care less. I'm glad that she has it because it means that maybe someday I'll have hers in return. _Merlin, He was going soft, he'd better thing of an extra cruel insult for the next time he saw Potter and Weasley. _I'm in luck, my girl is happy and my enemy is walking towards me, unaware that today I cannot be hurt,_

"Ah, Potter, sorry to see that someone else has little Red's heart, you must be devastated," he sneered at Potter before realizing his mistake,

"How do you know I didn't do it?" _damn it, he had hoped that Potter would be stupid enough not to notice his slip,_

"Because I say your shocked face Potter, wishing you'd been able to think of something like that for Red? Too bad, looks like she's taken now," _hmm, Potter doesn't look as embarrassed as he should, ooo, _"Oh, not hot for Red anymore are you Potter? Well then, that's too bad for you Weasley, looks like you won't get your deepest wish of having Potter in the family, I guess having that sort of fame would have brought in some extra money for you to fix up that hovel of yours," he drifted off as another red head approached, _oh Merlin, she'll never try and get her family to like me of I keep treating them like this, oh well, my being polite will scare them just as much,_

"My apologies boys," he spoke just loud enough for his little Red to hear, "Have a nice day," calmly he tried to side step the pair but Ronald shoved him back,

"Hang on Malfoy, why are you being polite now? What are you planning?" _suspicious and temperamental, no wonder Ginny always seems on edge, she has to live with this guy. _

"Oi, stop it Ronald, being polite isn't a crime, besides I already told you that he's changed" _she'd told him that? Really? _The feeling that was crawling inside his chest was unfamiliar but pleasant. You would have recognised it as genuine affection but it wasn't something Draco had experienced very often.

"Indeed Ronald, I fully understand if you wish to be angry with my when I'm cruel but freaking out because I was polite, that's messed up," he gave a smile that freaked the pair out more than the show of manners had. He heard Ginny cover up her giggles with a cough,

"Whatever Malfoy," Harry muttered before pushing past him into the potions room. Draco gave Ginny a wink when the boys had disappeared; she returned the gesture before hurrying off to her own class.

Inside the potions room Draco met with another problem he hadn't anticipated; the Boot man.

"Golden owls and white roses, really Malfoy, you thought I wouldn't pick up on that, I remember that you sent her the rose petal before, she told me, and if you think for a moment that she belongs to you, you are so delusional," he froze at the look on Draco's face, forced serenity, Terry's eyebrows shot up and he slowly turned around. Hermione was watching them carefully as she quietly mixed her potion ingredients.

Draco looked at her cautiously, how much would she tell precious Ronald? She surprised him by shaking her head slightly while biting her lip in a nervous manner. Then she tipped her head in surrender; she wasn't going to tell anyone. Draco closed his eyes in thanks before turning back to the matter at hand,

"Boot, do you honestly think that you were ever much competition, sure you came across as the gentleman who wanted to please her and make her happy but you lack the necessary charm," Draco kept his voice low as he diced the gerdyroots. Boot responded in kind,

"I have every chance, Ginny doesn't care about how many flowers you send her, she cared about gestures, she cares about how she's treated and how many times you can make her laugh, you can't buy her Malfoy, she's better than that,"

"I know," was all he could say. Ginny was better than that, she deserved to be treated like a princess, to have carpets rolled out before her and to have a tiara on at all time. Well maybe not the tiara but she deserved to be treated as if she was wearing one. He thought up something to top Boot's comment, "She deserves to be given a coat when it rains, to be picked up and walked over the puddles unless she wants to jump in them, she deserves to have someone who will try their best to get along with her family, to have someone who will build a tree fort with her when she wants to, and she deserves to have someone who will go out of their way to show the world how much they care about her,"

Boot stared at him blankly like he wasn't aware that Slytherins had emotions.

"I am not a heartless monster Boot," he finished adding ingredients to his potion and watched happily as Boot sat there with his mouth gaping open.

"Mr. Boot if you are not going to make your potion properly you may as well not be in attendance, ten points from Ravenclaw," Snape's voice slithered across the room and drew Hermione's attention back to the boys. She looked at them with narrowed eyes; wishing she knew exactly what had been said. Draco tried giving her a smile and to his great surprise she smiled back; it was a small smile but it was a start.


	14. Midnight Meetings

Harry was sitting in the common room alone Tuesday evening. He twitched his head when he heard a noise coming down the girl's stairway. Small feet tapped on each stair quickly before emerging around the corner and freezing at the sight of him,

"Damn," Jess's voice whispered harshly from beneath her cloak,

"What you doing up so late Jess?" he wasn't really familiar enough with her to use her first name so casually but he was obstinate enough to believe that every girl was in love with him.

"I could ask the same thing of you _Potter_," she emphasized his name before heading towards the portrait hole,

"Jessica I really must insist," Harry stood up and grabbed her arm,

"Let go of me Potter," her voice lowered dangerously as she reached for her wand, "Where I go at night is none of your business,"

"I think you'll find that it is, one of my best friends is Head Girl," the threat sounded lame coming from him,

"Go ahead, snitch on me to Hermione, I'll explain this to her and she'll get mad at you for trying to stop me," Jess pulled her arm out of his grasp with a huff and stormed towards the exit once more. Harry gave a huff of his own; determined to tell Hermione in the morning just in case Jessica was bluffing. But in the meantime, he smirked to himself as he pulled out his invisibility cloak and followed the goddess of a girl.

She moved ghost like down the corridors. Harry had to admire her stealth; he needed the cloak and years of practice to remain reasonably un-noticed but this girl was no more than a shadow. She went across the length of the school and down every set of stairs they came across until reaching the dungeon room.

"Morality," Harry heard her whisper to the empty piece of wall that he recognized as the entrance to the Slytherin common room, _Merlin, what's a good girl like Jessica doing down here? And how does she know the password? _Pulling the cloak closer around himself he followed the elusive girl into the dungeon and immediately began hearing voices,

"Thank you for coming Jessica; I truly do appreciate this," Harry recognized Blaise Zabini's silky tone,

"Hey, if I'd refused I would have been curious for the rest of my life,"

"I take it you agree that our friends are making a mistake," he paused on the word friends, as if anyone who made that sort of mistake couldn't possibly be closer than a distance associate,

"I do agree, Ginny and Draco aren't meant for each other, I mean she seems so charmed by all the flowers he keeps sending, not to mention the dress at the Halloween Ball, and all those midnight meetings, but I think that she'll be happier with Terry,"

"Mhmm, not that I particularly care about Weasley's happiness but I do care that Draco is making a mistake, we are in agreement then that they need to be separated?" _separated? Since when were they together? And what is this about midnight meetings? Merlin, Malfoy did the rose petals and golden owls yesterday! _He had trouble not gasping aloud and alerting the others to his presence.

"I thought you had a plan Zabini and that I wasn't sneaking out of my dorm just to discuss out mutual distaste,"

"I do have a plan; you told me that Ginny wants to keep everything a secret correct? And that's why Draco sent the note yesterday, because he wanted to keep other hands away from _his _girl," Jessica nodded, "Good, then all I need to do is convince Draco that having their _relationship _out in the open would be better, you know, get him to tell everyone, naturally Weasley will be…displeased, his brothers and parents will get upset, and all you have to do it make sure that Boot is there to comfort her," Jessica nodded blandly as Blaise spoke. She closed her eyes and debated with herself, was it worth it? Would Ginny be mad at her? No of course she wouldn't be mad, Ginny wouldn't have any idea that she was in on this and besides it wasn't like she was hurting her, she was doing this for Ginny's own good, right?

Harry stood shell-shocked; Ginny's secret boyfriend was Malfoy? That was seriously sick. Oh well, Jessica was doing the right thing and it made him like her even more. He watched the two shake hands, and then kept his eyes on Zabini as Jessica left. The boy put his head in his hands before looking towards a door,

"Are you happy now Malfoy?"

"Not really, but thank you anyway,"

"I still don't get it, how does this benefit you? I mean really, Jessica is just going to go off and try to convince Boot to keep going after little Red, how does that help your stupid little relationship?" Harry head Malfoy sigh,

"Learn to think four steps ahead Blaise, think about it, Ginny doesn't want Boot anymore, of course she's still attracted to him, but if he starts being pushy and suffocates her, it'll stop that attraction, she'll be annoyed by him,"

"And all for the blood-traitor," the sentence was hardly over before Draco punched Blaise,

"Do not call her that, she is the purest person I've ever met," well there was another shocker, it almost seemed like Malfoy actually cared about Ginny. But that couldn't be right; Malfoy was a heartless snake.

Wednesday morning Harry waited to walk with Hermione to the Great Hall for breakfast,

"Hermione, do you know where Jessica was last night?" she gave him a calculating look,

"She told me that she was doing something to help Ginny, I didn't see the harm, Jess is a smart girl, and honestly Harry, how many times do I ignore it when you roam the hallways at night like some kind of perverted predator?" the look she gave him was one of cold amusement, "just let it go Harry,"

"No, because you misunderstood her Hermione," Harry looked over his shoulder to make sure they were alone, "Did you have any idea that Ginny's secret boyfriend is Malfoy?" Hermione nodded and rolled her eyes,

"I found out in Monday's potions class, Terry was getting in Malfoy's face but then Malfoy actually stood up for Ginny, so I've decided to give him a chance,"

"Okay well, anyway, Jessica thought that she was meeting with Blaise to plan out how to get Ginny and Malfoy to break up, but it turns out that was Malfoy's plan because he wants Ginny to get mad at Terry, who was part of the plan, so that way she won't be attracted to anyone but him," Harry said this all very quickly and quietly, if he had been talking to Ron he would have been forced to repeat himself several times, but Hermione was faster than that,

"He's still manipulating her for his own good, he's jealous, well the jealousy is good, it means I was right to give him a chance, I guess he just can't get over his Slytherin ways, hmmm," Hermione stopped talking for a few steps to allow some Hufflepuffs to pass them, "Okay Harry, this is what is going to happen, you are not going to tell anyone, especially not Ronald, Ginny has a right to her privacy and honestly Ronald is far to nosy about her love-life, you are going to start trying to be polite to Malfoy, as am I, then we are going to wait and see how this all plays out, it mightn't be a bad idea for you to get a little closer to Jessica as well, but I don't think you'll mind that will you," Hermione gave him a wink before flouncing ahead of him to speak with a Professor about something that was probably dreadfully boring.

For now, he would do what Hermione said. She was smart after all and she knew Ginny better than anyone.

Ginny adored Wednesdays. Not only was the week half over but she had a free period with Draco; which were proving to be more and more fun the more they got to know each other.

"So, how's Terry?" he asked in a moment of silence, they were in a back corner of the library sharing a window seat.

"Terry is a wonderful as ever, but you needn't worry about him, I promised that I would keep my lips for you and I meant it," she looked away from her book and towards his face, she could feel his body vibrate with laughter,

"Good," he gave her a peck, not risking anything more in such a public place,

"He has been a little more determined lately, you see he knows about you and me and he doesn't think it's such a good idea, he's convinced that you're going to hurt me soon, but I know you better than that, I know that you absolutely adore me," she nuzzled into him and continued reading her book. He was warm, it was a sort of magic that all boys had; an inbuilt warmth than never went away, even on the coldest of days.

After another few minutes of happy silence he spoke again,

"What will you be doing over the holidays?" he was moving his thumb in circles over her leg and it kept her distracted for a while,

"I'll go home to be with my family, we'll bake cookies, make snowmen, I'll read Pride and Prejudice, Lindy will send me another Shakespeare book, I'll play Quidditch with the boys and whip them all soundly, then perhaps Remus and Tonks will come over for Christmas dinner," she sighed happily at the thought of being able to spend so much time with her loved ones. Draco only wished he had that sort of family. A warm family instead of his cold father and scared mother,

"Amidst all of that would you have time to sneak away to a formal party?" he bit his lip as she looked up at him, he couldn't resisted asking, it would be impossible to spend the entire holiday without her warmth and light,

"If I have a good alibi for my family, then I don't see any problem," she smiled at him, "but I don't think I have anything to wear to your sort of formal party," he ticked her at that one,

"I'll find you something new, promise, just say you'll come," she squirmed in his arms but upon further tickling agreed.

"Good, because I think my mother will just adore you,"

"WHAT? No, you can't do that I forbid it, I told you I wasn't going to be ready to tell anyone for a long time, okay, and you said you were okay with that," she stopped when she realized that Draco was laughing at her,

"My mother is different, she'll adore you and fawn over you and help you with your makeup, but she won't tell anyone about you and she won't even remember your name because she doesn't think that I'll manage to keep up a relationship, is that okay? And my father won't be there alright, besides my mother isn't that bad, she can be a little proud sometimes but all in all she's not as bad as my father, she isn't even really fussed with the whole pure-blood thing. Believe it or not she and my father were the product of an arranged marriage, mother wasn't happy at all, she wanted what her sister had, she was in love with a half-blood you see…" he trailed off when he realized that Ginny's nose was back in her book and that she wasn't really listening anymore. He shocked her back into reality with a kiss to the head,

"What was that for," she looked up curiously,

"You weren't listening to me," he said simply, but put a pout on his face,

"Then I didn't deserve the kiss, but for your information I was listening, I've gotten very good at doing two things at once you know, living with six brothers one must learn to both listen and read or else one will never get any reading done, but if you don't listen you'll regret it later when you realize you've promised to do the dishes for them," he laughed good naturedly,

"Fair enough Red, that's the bell, I see you later," with one last kiss they parted ways for the day.

With only a week and half left before holidays Draco had ceased his worrying. Terry had been taken care of and he was falling more for Ginny with every hour they spent together, all he could hope for was that she felt the same.


	15. Trains and Family

Ginny was sitting with the Hydra on the Hogwarts Express. Her nose was tucked safely in a book when a bushy head of hair interrupted her,

"Ginny dear, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" Hermione asked quietly, she looked suddenly nervous when the other three girls in the compartment looked up – Hermione hated gossip.

"Yes of course," Ginny tucked a feather into her book to mark her place then followed Hermione out into the corridor. They walked in silence to another compartment where Harry was waiting for them,

"I though you said you wanted to speak with me alone?" this was just weird, what would Harry and Hermione have to discuss with her? Unless they wanted advice on what to get Ronald for Christmas.

"Well, I meant without your roommates," Hermione added quietly, "Ginny, Harry and I want to talk to you about something," Ginny's heart rate flew; this was bad, really bad. _Keep calm Ginny, just keep calm and pretend you don't know anything_

"Okay, then talk," Ginny calmly took a seat opposite Hermione and crossed her legs but not her arms – she didn't want to look overly defensive.

"Are you seeing Malfoy in secret?" Harry blurted out, wow he wasn't one for subtlety.

"Yes, why do you care," Well she wasn't going to lie to them, that would only make things worse. Besides, apparently they already knew and if they hadn't told Ron yet and wanted to talk to her about it that was a good sign, right?

"When did it start Ginny? And why? I thought you were with Terry Boot," Hermione was back to her bossy sounding all-business self,

"You know when it started Hermione, when he gave you the flower petal to give to me, the one that turned into a bouquet," she wasn't going to tell them about the ever changing note, that was a little too personal, "Then he starting being polite and actually acting human, he complimented me and dancing me properly around the Hall at the Halloween Ball, he was charming and sweet so I'm giving him a change to prove he isn't his father," she crossed her arms subconsciously defending not only Draco but herself,

"He's hardly even human Ginny, how could you do this?" Harry was on the verge of one of his famous temper tantrums.

"Yes he is, he isn't his father Harry, he isn't a death eater and the other day he told me that his mother didn't even care about the pure blooded line, doesn't that count for something?"

"Yes it does Ginny, and Harry we agreed that we were talking to her in order to make sure she knew what she was doing and it appears that she does," Hermione gave her a smile, "I heard him defend you to Terry the other day, Terry said you deserved better and Malfoy agreed and said he didn't deserve you but Terry didn't deserve you either," Ginny jumped up and into Hermione's arms to give her friend a giant hug,

"Thank you for telling me that, and thank you for not telling Ron, I promise I'll tell him when I'm ready," Harry still didn't looked pleased but he nodded anyway and gave her a roll of his eyes, saying in his own moody way 'I don't like this but I don't want to be hexed either'. Then his expression changed,

"Ginny, if you're going to do this then there is something I want to tell you," Harry blurted, Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head in a 'some things and best left alone' way, "No, I'm going to tell her, Ginny, I followed Jessica one night under the cloak and she went into the Slytherin common room for a meeting with Zabini, they were planning to break you two up by encouraging Terry and trying to get Malfoy to announce it to everyone and annoy you, but when Jessica left Malfoy came and spoke to Zabini about how if Jessica egged on Terry eventually he would start annoying you and then you wouldn't want anyone but Malfoy, he's still trying to manipulate you Ginny," he finished in a hurry and started staring her down. Ginny's teeth clenched, but she wasn't going to show her anger in front of the only two people who supported her,

"He's scared that I'll leave him, even though he went about it the wrong way it shows that he cares about me," she took a deep breath and left the compartment. Her strides got longer and faster and she got closer to her dorm mates compartment,

"Jessica," she said firmly as she tossed the door open, "What is your problem with Draco, and why didn't you just talk to me instead of trying to go behind my back and fix everything on your own?" Ginny's fury was terrifying and even Natalie and Lindy were leaning back in their chairs with pale faces. Jessica's gaze fell to the floor,

"I'm so sorry Ginny, I thought he was going to hurt you but you were so charmed by him that I didn't think you would listen to me and I did what I thought would be best for you and I'm so sorry," tears escaped from her dark eyes and she looked up at Ginny, "Please forgive me Ginny, please," there was no resisting those eyes. Ginny wanted to stay mad but she remembered her mother's words 'chose your battles wisely Ginny, some things just aren't worth it'.

"You're forgiven Jess, just please don't do it again," Jess nodded quickly and opened her arms asking for a hug. Ginny relented and held her close. When Jess pulled away she had an odd look her on face,

"Ginny, how did you know what I did?" _damn it, I can't tell her about Harry's cloak, umm better do something mysterious,_

"I have my sources Jess, don't worry about it," she gave a wink before picking up her book again and sticking her nose back into the safety of the words. Natalie looked at Jess disapprovingly while Lindy shook her head – they were Draco's greatest supporters, partly because they were the only ones that knew about the midnight picnics and the note and partly because they saw how happy Ginny was.

As the train pulled into the station Ginny looked excitedly out the window in hopes of spotting her family. There they were, Bill and Charlie had come as well and were standing alongside the twins who were all dressed up in black dragon hide. She couldn't help but smile and she watched them stand happily together.

Her smile fell as she saw Mrs. Malfoy standing coldly by herself dresses entirely in black. She looked so sad and alone. Ginny kept her eyes on Narcissa as the train stopped. She waited and watched and Draco greeted his mother; her face lit up upon the sight of her son and suddenly she looked beautiful. She looked powerful, strong, independent, and fierce; everything Ginny aspired to be. She wondered if those things came at a cost. Narcissa had married a death eater against her will but now she was in control of the Malfoy fortune and was unlikely to see her hated husband ever again.

"You coming Ginny?" it was Ronald standing at her door, she wondered how long she'd been sitting alone for,

"Yes, I was just lost in thought, sorry for keeping you waiting Ron," she gave him a smile to convince him that she wasn't completely mental and walked out of the train to greet her family. Fred and George were the first to tackle hug her. Once Ginny had proven herself worthy of the title of being the third musketeer the twins had taken her under their wing and had thought of her as their special charge as well as partner.

"Looking good Gin, we missed you, oh and we have something that can't wait until Christmas," Fred gave her a smile and George pulled something out from behind his back,

"Dragon hide Gin, we won't be forgetting all the help you gave us with the skiving snack boxes," it was a black dragon hide jacket. Feminine and tough, it was perfect. Ginny gave a laugh and thanked her brothers with a kiss to each of their cheeks. Pulling on the jacket she hugged her mother and father before being enveloped by her eldest brothers.

"Welcome home Ginny, had a good semester did you?" she nodded and smiled at her family. They all piled into her father's car – Harry included – and headed back to the burrow.

As much as Ginny loved Hogwarts she had missed her home. The kitchen smelt like onions and garlic cooking in butter. Her room was exactly how she'd left it; sock on the floor and everything. Lying quietly on her bed and breathing in the scent of home she heard a tapping on her window. Shaking the weariness out of her head she went to open the window. In flew an oddly familiar eagle owl with a heavy parchment note attached to its leg. Untying the letter Ginny watched as the owl flew off; apparently the sender wasn't expecting a reply.

Turning over the heavy envelope Ginny noticed a silver wax crest. Something was written in Latin beneath the image of a serpent wound around a crown. She cracked open the seal with curiosity and pulled out the letter,

_Ginny, _

_ I apologize for writing so soon, and I hope you don't feel smothered but I felt that the sooner I notified you of the date of the ball the better. It's on December 22__nd__ in the evening. I will send you a dress the moment I inform my mother of your colouring and she drags me out shopping for something that will be both appropriate and pretty. Have no fears, I have also written to your friend Lindy and invited her, she has agreed to spend the evening with Blaise so that you may tell your parents in all honesty that you went to a ball with Lindy for fun. I truly appreciate your willingness to come and I hope you're as excited as I am. Now, you may think that balls are boring, but I assure you, between good food, good music, and good company you'll stay amused. Besides, if we get bored I'm sure we can find some amusement in matchmaking. I'm positive Blaise and Lindy fancy each other. When you think about it, it is truly a perfect match; they are both equally attractive and smart and Lindy is a pureblood so Blaise's parents will never object. _

_ I'm sure that I have written for far too long already and I apologize again for taking up the time that I'm sure you wish to be spending with your family. _

_ With all the adoration a heartless Slytherin can muster,_

_ Draco _

Ginny's smile grew as her eyes traveled down the length of the letter. She laughed to herself as he mentioned Blaise and Lindy, whom she was also positive were in love with each other. She couldn't help but be filled with joy at the idea that his mother might accept her. She looked so powerful yet caring that Ginny couldn't help but want to be liked by such a woman, especially after hearing how sad her life had been.

Hearing her name being called from downstairs Ginny tucked the letter into her pillow case – putting it under your pillow was far too obvious and a snoop like Ronald was sure to find it. In the kitchen the family and Harry were seated around the table waiting for her. Her mother indicated the empty seat in-between the twins and Ginny smiled; there was something about being a part of the three musketeers that brought unbreakable joy. She had always felt like the odd one out in her family, being the only girl aside from her mother. Being so close and so loved by the twins gave her an even greater sense of belonging. Besides, Fred and George knew how to have the most fun.


	16. Almost There

Two days after arriving back at home Draco's mother practically tossed him in the fire – with floo powder of course! – And half dragged him around the most expensive boutiques in London. They looked at dress after dress and Narcissa kept repeating questions like "exactly what shade of red is her hair?" "How tall did you say she was?" and the slightly more awkward but evidently important, "Is she big or small in the chest?"

They looked at full length gowns before Narcissa decided that they would be too formal and it would be better to go with a fancy cocktail dress. After all, it was better to be elegantly underdressed than ridiculously overdressed.

"We can't do a green dress Draco, it'll make her look like a Christmas tree with all her red hair, and we can't do Christmas red either because it'll clash, best to stick with things that go with red but still look festive, didn't you say you bought her a burgundy gown before? We can't do that again, how about a dark purple, no, perhaps if the green is dark enough she won't look like a decoration," she went on mumbling to herself while Draco pictured Ginny in each dress they looked at. Imaginary Ginny looked good in anything.

"Oh, oh Draco look at this," his mother was jumping up and down in spite of herself, the normally composed and elegant woman had lost everything upon seeing the perfect dress – as Draco supposed most women did with things such as dresses, shoes, and purses. The dress was a dark pine green. There was one shoulder, no back, and a covering of fine white lace. Draco looked at his mother and nodded; even without seeing Ginny she had picked the perfect dress.

Ginny awoke that morning determined. It was three days before the ball with Draco and she still hadn't asked her mother if she could go with Lindy. Pulling on her favourite fluffy socks Ginny marched down the stairs in hopes that only her mother would be there. Luck was not on her side. Harry sat alone in the kitchen, _of all the people to see in the morning when I'm wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and socks. Fabulous. _

"Good morning Ginny," he smiled at her, apparently liking what he saw,

"I'm taken Harry, don't bother looking," she teased before looking in the living room to make sure her mother wasn't hiding, "Have you seen my mom Harry?" she hated asking him but neither did she want to pointlessly search the entire house,

"Outside with the chickens," he muttered tonelessly, "You on for Quidditch later?" Ginny gave him a smile and a nod before tossing on her cloak and boots.

"Mom!" she yelled happily when she spotted Molly feeding the chickens, "Mom, I got a letter from Lindy today, she wants me to go to a formal ball with her on the 22nd, can I go?" there, that was the right amount of excitement at being asked to attend a party with a friend,

"Ginny dear, I don't really have the money to buy you a new dress, but I don't mind you going if you don't mind wearing something old," Molly said sadly, she wished her daughter could go to parties and have new cloths. But Molly also knew that those things weren't the most important things in life.

"That's just the best part Mom, Lindy said she had a dress that would be perfect for me, she said it had never suited her and that she wants me to have it!" Ginny's mind reeling to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything important, "Oh and Mom, Lindy wanted me to stay at her place for the night, she said it would be more fun that way," she looked pleadingly up at her mother. Molly tipped her head from side to side, she missed Ginny so much over the course of the year that it was a shame to give away the limited time they had together, but Ginny was growing up and it was the Holidays after all she deserved to have some fun,

"Of course dear, remember to say thank you to Lindy's parents for letting you stay," Molly smiled and watched her daughter flounce back into the house.

Well, staying over at Lindy's would prevent her parents from knowing how late she was likely to be at the ball, the problem now was getting Lindy's parents to let her stay. Ginny pulled out two pieces of parchment. On the first she wrote,

_Lindy, my mom is letting me go to the ball with 'you' but I said that I was sleeping over at your house because I didn't want her knowing how later we would be staying out, I hope that's okay with you and your folks, can't wait! ~ Ginny_

On the second one she took more time and made her writing easier to read,

_Draco, I have been given permission to attend the ball with Lindy! I also said that I would be borrowing a dress from her, as much as I don't like accepting expensive gifts, please send the dress to Lindy's. I'm really looking forward to seeing you outside of school; I think it'll be interesting. Did I mention that Harry and Hermione figured it out, they know about you and me and they aren't going to kill me! Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought it would be. Mind you I'm not going to tell them that I'm actually going to the ball with you, not yet anyway. Your adoring ~Red _

Excitement was flooding through her veins as the tied the letters to her tawny owl Melody – a gift from Fred and George – and sent her on her way. She, Ginny Weasley, was going to a formal ball with Draco Malfoy, her parents didn't know. It was strangely intoxicating this feeling of rebellion; no wonder Draco enjoyed it so much. She pictured him in a suit and tie, wondering if he'd fix his hair or still let it fall in perfection into his eyes. She loved how his look would look both over-done yet messy on any other guy but on him it looked perfect.

Two days before the ball Lindy returned her owl saying that her parents were happy to have Ginny stay. They had more than enough room in their country house and were always taking in guests; it was possible that seven others would be there at the same time.

Draco returned her message as well, saying that he would be happy to send the dress to Lindy's and that she had better get used to receiving expensive gifts because she deserved them. Tucked inside his letter was a pair of earrings. They looked old, like family heirlooms, consisting of a small hoop made to look like a snake, where its mouth met its tail an emerald was set. Ginny adored them. Carefully she tucked them away for safekeeping and went out for another Quidditch match with the boys.

That afternoon the twins abducted her for what they called 'a super-secret mission'. They intended to set a trap for Charlie – their favourite target – and needed Ginny to lure him into it.

"Alright Gin, so what we need you to do is go running to find Charlie and pretend like you want to show him your garden" (she didn't keep a garden but Charlie wasn't home often enough to know that)

"In the middle of winter? Really boys?" she raised a pale eyebrow, "shouldn't I be pretending to want to build a snowman or something?"

"No no no no, having a garden allows you to lead him to an exact location without arousing suspicion," they said together, "besides, a garden in the middle of winter is exactly the sort of thing that will intrigue him, we figured out how to get snow-drops to grow in the snow so there will actually be flowers," they trailed off with identical evil smiles. Hearing this Ginny nodded and agreed to lure her brother into the ambush.

"Charlie! Hey Charlie! I wanna show you something," Ginny was jumping around her brother like a puppy, she had a smile on her face like she was actually dying to show him something,

"What is it Gin?" he smiled at his little sister and put his arm around her and she pulled his towards the garden,

"I'm growing a garden!"

"In the middle of winter?"

"That's the best part!" she smiled up at him and pulled him faster, "Come on Charlie!" she said just loudly enough for the twins to hear her. Two more steps and she pulled herself out of Charlie's grasp as if to get farther ahead. The moment she was clear the twins swept in on brooms and pelted Charlie with snowballs charmed to melt into the receivers underpants and remain icy for hours. The boys and Ginny laughed aloud at the look on Charlie's face. Before he could kidnap Ginny as revenge George swept down and pulled her onto his broom and flew to safety. They would have to deal with Charlie's revenge later, but for now they would just enjoy his frozen despair.

The day before the ball another set of letters arrived. One from Draco and one from Terry. Terry's read like a sweet love-poem. He wished her a Merry Christmas and said that he would be overjoyed when the holiday was over so that he could see her again. Ginny smiled and wrote him back,

_Terry! Thank you for the gift, I adore it. I'll be happy to be back at Hogwarts as well, back to Quidditch, my friends, and of course back to you! I've just been writing to my friends and when I was writing to Natalie I had a thought. I think you danced with Natalie at the Halloween Ball. She was the one in pink and blue. She enjoyed that dance. Yours ~Ginny _

Hopefully her not-so-subtle hint to Terry that her pretty dorm mate was interested in him would help her situation. After all, Draco wasn't going to allow him to be an alibi so he might as well be happy and truth be told Ginny had always thought that Natalie and Terry would go well together. With a smile on her face she opened the letter from Draco and felt something cold slide into the palm of her hand. Ginny closed her fist; determined to read his letter first,

_Ginny,_

_ I know that in your eyes it's too soon for me to be giving you something that has belonged to my family for centuries. But if it soothes your worries, nobody was wearing this, it's wrong for my mother's colouring. Please wear it and the earrings to the ball. I miss you, I miss your light and your smiles, the way your hair falls into your face when you read and the way you look at me. _

_ Waiting for Someday to come_

_ Draco _

His letters were always beautiful. Ginny added it to her stash in her pillow case then opened her hand and looked at the jewel. It was a necklace to match the earrings. Designed so that the snake-charm would fit in the hollow of her throat there was a thin silver chain made to look like snakeskin. Where the snake's head met its tail there was an emerald that perfectly matched the earrings. From the size of the jewel Ginny knew that she could have sold it for a fortune but she didn't want to. It was worth more to her than it would ever be worth to some collector. Ginny bit her lip, she was falling for him. Harder and faster then she had ever fallen. The way he adored her was irresistible. But it was more than that, she loved his snarky sense of humour, his grin when she said something amusing, the way he was willing to just sit and watch while she studied. If she had ever loved someone, then she loved Draco Malfoy.


	17. The Dance  Part 1

(A/N – Sorry for the long wait, last week of school and exam prep have been keeping me down, hopefully the wait will be worth it as the summer buzz fills me with good writing mojo!)

Ginny tucked the necklace and earing carefully into the side of her overnight bag. With a deep breath she checked her reflection in the mirror and tried to walk calmly down the rickety staircase. She was wearing yoga pants and a loose tank, the picture of a girl getting ready to be dolled up by an overly excited friend.

"Okay Ginny, remember to behave yourself and not to be a burden to Lindy's parents," her mother smiled happily and offered her the sack of floo powder, "have fun dearie," Mrs. Weasley smiled at her daughter and thought about how grown up she was looking. Ginny gave her mother a hug before jumping in the fire place and tossing down the floo power,

"Jack-Mason house," she announced to the green flames.

She stepped out of the fireplace and into Lindy's waiting arms,

"Okay girl, let's start getting ready," immediately Lindy grabbed Ginny's carry-bag and launched into her bedroom, which resembled a large portion of a penthouse suite instead of a teenage girls room, "Draco sent the dress and I must say it is gorge," Lindy pulled it out of her closet and watched Ginny's shocked face,

"How does he do that?" stunned she walked up to the dress and ran her fingers over it, it was perfection in every way.

"I expect it comes with being raised by a woman as stately as Narcissa," Lindy said blandly, "Now, what do you think of this?" she pulled out another dress.

"Blaise won't be able to resist you," Ginny smiled, the dress was blood red, floor length with a thigh high slit. Strapless, backless and dead sexy. The girls giggled with pleasure as they pulled on their respective dresses and admired their reflections. Lindy finished her own makeup then Ginny's. Then with some clever wand work she pulled but both of their locks into elaborate updos. A few of Ginny's curls escaped and framed her face. Lindy finished her look with black pumps and a lipstick to match her dress. With her dark hair, pale skin and large eyes she resembled a Broadway star walking the red carpet. After convincing Ginny that she looked sexy and charming in her own way Lindy remembered to ask about her jewellery,

"Draco wrote in the letter he sent with the dress that he had given you something to wear with the dress," she commented softly before putting diamonds around her own neck and in her ears.

"Oh that's right, you won't believe what he sent!" Ginny flounced happily off to her bag and listened to Lindy call out behind her,

"You forget that Draco and I come from families of similar riches darling," Ginny just laughed before pulling the jewels out of her bag and showing them to Lindy, "Oh. My. Gosh." Was all the gorgeous rich girl could manage, "I don't even want to think about how many galleons those are worth, he must really like you," her face was slow and she looked up at Ginny, "do you like him back, like, I mean to the same extent?" All Ginny could do was nod and give a quiet, 'I think so,' before bursting into a happy laughter. Lindy joined in before adorning Ginny with the jewels and declaring her prefect and irresistible.

"Girls!" the voice of the lovely Yvette Jack-Mason came up the staircase, "Are you ready?"

"Yes mom!" Lindy called down before posing at the top of the stairs and walking down in a stately manner,"

"You look lovely Lindy," Yvette smiled at her daughter, "Now where is Ginny?" Lindy just smiled at her mother before looking up to the top of the stairs again, Yvette gasped, "Ginevra Weasley, you look marvellous,"

"Thank you Mrs. Jack-Mason," Ginny smiled, and copied Lindy's elegant walk down the staircase with some success.

"And the jewels, gifts I presume?" Yvette was a woman who knew the value of a jewel and hence she knew that what Ginny wore was no small token of affection.

"Yes," Ginny gave her friend's mother a smile before looking to Lindy for help, the less people that knew about her and Draco the better. She excused the dance in her mind because plenty of people would be there and as long as she danced with other men occasionally she would appear to be just another girl enjoying the party.

The girls approached the front door of the oldest pureblood mansion in London. It was not in use aside from parties of this magnitude. Ginny couldn't help but gape and she looked at the exquisite architecture,

"Close your mouth Ginny it isn't attractive," Lindy chided cheerfully. They were invited in by a butler of the highest class who offered to take their coats. They walked as directed into the center of the house where the ballroom was located.

It put Hogwarts to shame. The floor was polished marble, the ceiling at least eight stories high, pillars decorated the edges of the room. Imagine a the largest room you've ever seen, now make the roof twice as tall and triple the floor space, make it grand and glittery then fill it will the best dressed people imaginable.

Lindy took it all in her stride; this was the world she belonged to. Pulling Ginny alongside her she marched towards the center of the room; intent upon making an entrance. And an entrance she made. Perhaps Lindy was young, but she appeared to be the sexiest woman in the room, and accompanied by a charming red headed lady who was appealing in her own right. Men started openly as their dates pulled at their arms; desperately trying to regain their attention.

From the side of the room a young man began walking over the Lindy. He looked to be in his early twenties and was the epitome of hotness.

"Excuse me miss," he had a faint accent that Ginny couldn't place, "May I have this dance?" his gaze seemed to look into Lindy's soul and he stood at a polite distance from her. Lindy gave Ginny a quick glance to make sure it was okay to leave her, before turning to the man and nodding,

"I would be honoured," she gave him a smile that he returned, and she took his arm.

"Blaise will be jealous," a voice whispered in her ear as an arm appeared around her waist, "How dare his date run off with a more attractive and considerably richer man," Draco laughed and Ginny turned to look at him. He was dashing in a suit, Ginny smiled up at him,

"Who was the attractive rich man anyway?"

"That was the one and only Adam Francisco," Draco whispered, "Sole owner of multiple businesses across the wizarding and muggle world, his father handed everything over to him a few years ago when he decided that he would rather spend time in the Caribbean with his twenty year old girlfriend, Adam the girl didn't get along very well, considering that they're the same age,"

Ginny shivered, that was so wrong. Poor Mr. Francisco. Her pity for him lessened as she watched him dancing with Lindy; he leaned in and whispered something in her ear that she giggled at. Watching Ginny watch the dance Draco sighed,

"Would you honour me with this dance Miss. Weasley?" he smiled at her in his charming way,

"Of course Mr. Malfoy," she laughed as he scooped her into his arms and waltzed her out into the center of the floor. As they danced Ginny half watched her gorgeous blonde's stormy eyes, and the other half of her kept tabs on the event playing out between Lindy and Adam.

They had danced two danced together before Blaise showed up; fashionably late. Ginny watched his eyes narrow as he glared at the older, richer man who was dancing with the girl who was supposedly his date for the evening. Ginny giggled and told Draco to watch.

"Let's get drinks and get a better view, shall we?" he offered, she nodded and tried her best not to look over her shoulder and Draco led her away. They settled themselves on one of the couches that lined the perimeter of the room. They sipped champagne and watched the show unfolding.

Blaise had paused at the edge of the room, watching the most beautiful girl in the room dance with another man. A smile lit up his face when he saw Lindy look over to him and give a seductive wink. He began to stride across the room as the dance came towards an end. Ginny strained to hear him say,

"thank you for taking care of my lady, I was delayed," he shook hands with a confused looking Adam Francisco, "Blaise Zabini," he belatedly introduced himself, and then to put the other man off guard – or so Ginny assumed – he looked at Adam and said "And who is it that I'm thanking?" Nobody in the upper class hadn't heard of Adam Francisco, or so he believed,

"Francisco, Adam Francisco," he smiled,

"Well Mr. Francisco, again thank you for keeping Lindy company, I do appreciate it," with that Lindy smiled and took Blaise's' arm and gave Adam on last smile before she was walked towards the couches where Draco and Ginny were waiting.

"Nice rescue Blaise," Lindy cooed, "He was just beginning to talk about his money, that was after he finished chatting about his father and all his angsty problems," she smiled as the others looked at her with shocked expressions,

"But he looked so charming," Ginny was the first to speak,

"I'm kidding you Ginevra, goodness, he was a perfect gentleman and I was sad to go, however I promised the evening to Blaise and I'm not one to break promises," she smiled and her friends, "Well I still feel like dancing, so Blaise," she looked at him pointedly until he asked her to dance in the proper fashion.

"Well, that was interesting," Draco said blandly as he smirked at Ginny, "I understand if you want to dance with another man, but please, try to keep away from the apparently charming Mr. Francisco, I'd rather not lose you tonight," his smirk turned into a wolfish grin as Ginny looked away coyly,

"Well, I won't promise anything," she said biting her lip and raising an eyebrow,

"Ginevra, I thought I meant more to you than that," he teased with a pout. She laughed and a moment later the pale boy joined in,

"I won't dance with the handsome older man if it keeps you happy," she promised with a serious look on her freckled face.


	18. The Dance Part 2

The evening was half over and Ginny was well on her way to a Cinderella happily ever after when she finally ran into Draco's mother. She knew that there was nothing to fear from this woman, she had been the one to pick out her dress for the evening after all but Ginny still found something about her rather intimidating.

"You must be Ginny," Narcissa smiled and reached out to shake Ginny's hand during one of Ginny and Draco's few breaks from dancing,

"Yes Ma'am, it's very nice to meet you," Ginny put on her sweetest smile and shook the blondes hand.

"The pleasure is all mine Ginny, I see the dress looks fabulous on you, Draco sent you the jewels, good they don't suit my colouring at all," Narcissa continued to smile down at Ginny.

"Thank you, for the dress and the jewels, I truly appreciate the gifts," Ginny tried to be polite and re-format her speech patterns to suit the higher society,

"You're welcome darling, if Draco likes you half as much as I believe he does then the gesture will not go to waste," Ginny was left to pondering over the possible meanings of Narcissa's words as the tasteful woman was swept into a dance by an older man.

Draco was forced to watch as a parade of other men danced his girl around the room with a considerable lack of talent. Ginny looked like a doll in incapable hands as the buffoons tried to waltz, jive, and tango with the petite redhead. Nevertheless, it was part of a necessary charade; Ginny didn't mind that Narcissa was aware of the relationship but the rest of the wizarding population knowing was pushing the limits.

Sighing heavily as Ginny was taken once more into someone else's arms Draco turned to fetch himself another glass of champagne. She was waiting for him at the table.

"Draco Malfoy, what a charming surprise," her smile was as wide as it was fake,

"Oh Lacey, you never miss a party do you?" Draco pretended to smile as the girl made small talk about the dances, the music, the couples, and the gowns.

"What do you want Lacey?" he couldn't contain it anymore, Lacey wasn't just any girl, she was intoxicating, fascinating, manipulative, and charming. Something of a female Draco.

"I can't just say a casual hello to my betrothed?" Lacey smiled again and sipped her champagne, "Or didn't you tell your little girlfriend about us?"

"You are a wonderful dancer Miss," her current partner commented blandly,

"Thank you, you yourself are very light on your feet," _for an overweight moron who was never taught how to act like a human being. _Ginny make a quick glance behind herself to check on Draco; he was chatting to a brunette girl who bore an air of confidence. Draco looked uncomfortable with the conversation. The girl tipped her tan face back and laughed before winking at Draco and walking off.

Forcing her attention back to the man she was dancing with Ginny noticed her was looking at her strangely,

"Pardon," she said with a slight cough,

"I asked if you have ever been to America," the man repeated,

"Oh, no I have never been to America," Ginny tried to stay calm as the man looked at her with a filthy sort of stare that made her feel like taking a shower,

"You should come and visit me there; I have a very large property that I'm sure you would enjoy," _ew ew ew ew ew ew, gross, the old fat man was hitting on her. Ew, she needed to find Draco, where was he, where was Lindy, where was Blaise where was anyone? _

"Excuse me sir, may I cut in?" Blaise's husky voice came to her rescue, Ginny stopped dancing and stepped away from the heinous man,

"Oh, umm yes of course," Mr. Dreadful nodded and walked away uncomfortably. Ginny sighed and stepping happily into Blaise's arms; something she never would have done a month ago.

"You looked uncomfortable and Draco was occupied," Blaise commented,

"Well I owe you, the man was awful, I can't stop shuddering," Ginny let an exaggerated shiver travel down her body and Blaise laughed,

"Friends?" he spun her around and asked with an honest look on his Slytherin face,

"Friends," she agreed, with all the boy troubles in her life she could use some honest male friends. Blaise gave her a smile and continued to dance with her; it was truly the first dance of the evening with anyone but Draco that was enjoyable. When it was over she was actually disappointed,

"I'd better go find Lindy before she murders me," he joked good naturedly, Ginny tipped her head in a mock boy and went to find Draco. He was still standing by the drinks looking worried,

"Hello," she said cautiously, "Who's the wench who has you so upset?" carefully she stood beside her man and took his hand under the cover of his jacket.

"Lacey Jasmine Carter," he gave her a pained smile and continued to drink,

"I think you've have quite enough to drink this evening," Ginny said as she pulled the glass from his hand and placed it on the table, "Tell me about Lacey Jasmine Carter," she said as she pulled him against her and began to walk around the room.

"Lacey is an old friend of the family, she went to Beauxbatons Academy, excelled in all her classes and quickly became the most desirable bachelorette in Europe," he looked at Ginny with a worried expression, how would she feeling about him knowing a girl like Lacey.

"Wow, quite the girl, if she's an old family friend why did you look so worried?" Ginny put her arm in his and continued her walk around the room, more worried than before.

"She's always up to new tricks; I was just worried about the outcome of the one she was hinting at, it's nothing important I promise," He smiled at Ginny and she finally relaxed.

"Good, because I was my last dance to be with a gorgeous Slytherin boy instead of a creepy old man, then I want to go outside, watch the stars and kiss him under the full moon," she looked up at him with her big brown eyes,

"Lucky boy," was all he said before pulling her close for the last dance. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear as they danced and kissed her lightly on the nose when he though no one was watching. Ginny adored it, she adored him, and she adored his mother and her playful stateliness. This was something a girl like her could get used to, being close to the perfect guy and knowing that she was loved.

The only thing to ruin her evening was the view of Miss Lacey Jasmine Carter over Draco's shoulder. She was eyeing Ginny with a look of amusement. Ginny gave her a smile, Lacey laughed and walked away; apparently that was some kind of trademark.

As the dance came to an end Ginny realized that they were dancing on the patio under the stars. It was absolutely beautiful. She let herself gasp as she looked up at the stars. Draco smiled and wrapped his arms closely around her and tilted her chin up,

"What was it you wanted to do to that Slytherin boy under the full moon?" he teased, Ginny smiled before reaching up to him and wrapping her fingers in his silky hair,

"This," she whispered and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. 


	19. Confessions and Revelations

"There you are Ginny," Lindy panted as she found her friend sitting outside with Draco, as terrible as she felt interrupting Ginny's only alone time with Draco Lindy knew it must be done, "Ginny I'm sorry but my mother insists that we must be getting home or else we will looks like tired old hags tomorrow,"

"Oh goodness, tired old hags we wouldn't want that," Draco teased Ginny and helped her to her feet, "My lady," he smiled and kissed the palm of her hand with a mixture of sensuality and chivalry. Ginny blushed at the gesture,

"Thank you for the evening good sir," She curtsied playfully before taking Lindy's arm and walking towards the exit trying not to jump with joy.

"Oh. My. Merlin!" Lindy shouted once in the safety of her room, "He was so charming, Draco I mean, for you, this is amazing everything was perfect!" Lindy began jumping on her bed in childish excitement. Ginny wasn't far behind,

"Who are you kidding, Blaise was the perfect gentlemen, and he so obviously adores you!" Ginny squealed as she fell over on the bed and landed in a pile of feather pillows, "It was perfect, everything was perfect," a giggle escaped her lips and before she knew it she was laughing with joy and couldn't stop. It was one of those moments where everything in the world seems to make sense and nothing could possibly go wrong. Complete senseless joy filled both girls to the breaking point.

"Did you see that way Draco looked at you when he saw you in that dress, and how he dance and how he talks to you, like you're a delicate little girl, but also like an equal, nothing is ever going to go wrong between you two, do you love him?" Lindy's laughter had finally subsided and now both girls were lying on their sides looking at each other.

"I adore him, I love his company, his laughter, his chivalry, his voice, but I do love him…" she intentionally trailed of leaving Lindy lying there with her mouth wide open,

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, tell me now, are you in love with Draco Malfoy?" Lindy sat up and shook Ginny's shoulders, "Tell me or I will curse you into next week you little redheaded twit of a best friend who won't even tell me what's going on even after all I've done for you tonight…" I suspect Lindy could have yelled cheerfully for hours, but it wasn't necessary,

"Yes, yes yes yes, I love him Lindy, I didn't think I ever would but I do and I'm so happy that I just said that, merlin, I love Draco Malfoy,"

"Well that was quite the evening, Lindy is a charming girl," Blaise commented dryly as he sat in the back of the carriage that was currently being pulled by a small dragon (Oh yes, a dragon, the Malfoy pride and money lead them to many strange things, such as dragon drawn carriages).

"Yes, Lindy is quite the girl I agree, but Ginny, she's something else," Draco sighed heavily, his breath stank of liquor and his head was swimming with exhaustion but his thoughts were kept clear with a spell Blaise had provided.

"Was that Lacey I saw this evening?" Blaise tried to say it casually but it came out with a nervous ring,

"Lacey, Lacey, what am I going to do with her?" Draco rolled his eyes, but Blaise was firm,

"You're going to marry her Draco, like your parents promised her parents when you were both infants, regardless of your girlfriends at school,"

"But I don't love Lacey, Blaise, I can't marry her, you know that,"

"And you're saying that you love Ginny?" Blaise's eyebrows shot up into his dark curly hair and his eyes widened at the very idea. If Draco was in love with Ginny then it was Blaise's fault for helping Draco.

"Yeah, yeah I think I do," Draco mumbled as he looked out the window, "Yeah, I love Ginny, and I don't want to marry Lacey just because my parents tell me I must," another sigh escaped his chiselled lips.

"Draco, you will marry Lacey because she will restore everything to your family that your father so carelessly tossed away, I'm not going to let you ruin your life because you think you love Ginny Weasley,"

"So what, you think that Ginny won't restore my family, the Weasley's are respected by the rest of the wizarding community even if you don't think so Blaise," Draco's voice was raised and his fist was clenched,

"That's not what I said Draco, you know I didn't meant that, I meant that Lacey is a part of our society and right now she is the only person you could marry and still have your friends and family respect you, regardless of how popular Ginny is within her own circles," Blaise tried to keep his voice quite but he was finding it difficult, he had been raised to respect parental choices and to respect his own social circles, one did not deny their parents, marry below themselves and think they could continue being a respected man.

"So this is about a social hierarchy, you know that's ridiculous Blaise,"

"Not if you want to keep your inheritance, you want to stay rich Malfoy, you marry Lacey," Blaise closed his mouth, determined to let that be the last word. It silenced Draco; his lifestyle was something he wasn't sure he could give up so easily.

Lindy was on the verge of sleep but Ginny was lying there fully awake,

"Lindy, why did you agree to do this for me?" lying awake wasn't fun or interesting, late night questions and honest answers could get interesting,

"Because you're my friend and I love you," Lindy yawned and rolled over to look at Ginny,

"But you had to spend the evening with Blaise," Ginny made a face, Blaise was turning out to be an okay guy, but she wouldn't have wanted to spend the whole night with him,

"It had to be done sooner or later," Lindy yawned and tried to roll over and go back to sleep.

"What does that mean?" Ginny propped herself up on her elbow, she was right, this was getting interesting,

"It's something I don't tell many people Ginny, but there is a tradition in many of the older pure-blood families, a tradition of arranged marriage, so that the marriage suit the family in terms of money and alliances or whatever," Lindy paused, "My family is one of those, my mother was against it but there was nothing she could do when my father insisted, he said that their marriage had been arranged and that they were perfectly happy,"

"So you're engaged to Blaise Zabini?" Ginny whispered, who knew that such archaic things as arranged marriages still happened in the wizarding world? Not Ginny.

"I have been since I was born," Lindy whispered back, "I don't mind it, not really, I mean Blaise and I get along and it takes out the looking for someone. I know that no matter what he will be there for me and I'm expected to be there for him, no questions asked,"

Ginny was fascinated by the way Lindy viewed her pre-planned future, she had always thought of Lindy as a free-spirited girl who made all of her own choices. It was something of a revelation to see Lindy as a happily caged animal.

"I guess is makes things easier, takes away the jealousy, because no matter what girl he flirts with or how many guys break up with me I know that in the end it's going to be me and him," Lindy couldn't seem to be able to stop herself, "It helps that I'm falling for his charm," she added with a tired sounding laughter.

"Wow," was all Ginny could muster.

Ginny's brain was going a mile a minute; trying to process everything Lindy had just told her. Certain phrases seemed to haunt her, _a tradition in many of the older pure-blood families,_ _arranged marriage, their marriage had been arranged,_ _I have been since I was born_, _no matter what girl he flirts with_… _in the end it's going to be me and him. _Her mind kept spinning for the better part of an hour. She wondered why her parents had never mentioned this tradition. Her family was one of the old pure-blood families; did the Weasley's of the past have their partners chosen for them?

Lindy's words swirled through Ginny's brain like a fog until suddenly something became very clear and very urgent,

"Lindy, Lindy wake up!" Ginny shook her friend's shoulder determined to awaken her, she had to know.

"What is it this time Gin?" Lindy looked up at her with bleary eyes, "Why am I awake? I don't want to be awake, Lindy wants sleep," she mumbled,

"Lindy, it's important," Ginny insisted,

"Nothing is more important that my sleep Ginevra, you know that," Lindy grumbled before pulling her head under a pillow and trying to silence Ginny; it couldn't be done,

"Lindy! Is Draco engaged?" that got her up,

"Is he WHAT?" she half shouted half whispered in tired shock,

"Is he engaged, you said it was a tradition for many old pure-blood families to have arranges marriages and the Malfoy family is one of those old families, so I'm asking you, is he engaged?"

"I don't know," Lindy sounded dumbstruck, "Same way most people don't know about Blaise and myself, the engagements are announced once both parties are of age and out of school, before that it's sort of respected that the kids can have a normal love life,"

"So you don't know if the man I love is going to marry someone else, regardless of how I feel about him, oh that's brilliant Lindy, just brilliant," flustered and angry Ginny flopped back onto her pillow,

"I'm sorry Ginny, I just don't know, his parents' marriage was arranged but I always got the sense that Narcissa wasn't very happy about it and that she didn't want the same thing for Draco, so I'm sorry Gin, but I don't know,"

"What the hell do I do know?" Ginny whispered,

"You pretend you don't know anything because if he is engaged he'll tell you when the time is right, or he just wants a normal life, or he doesn't want to marry the girl his parents hypothetically picked out for him and he's trying to get out of it," Lindy tried to speak wisely through her grogginess, "Now stop worrying and let me sleep".


	20. Christmas Morning Threats

Ginny awoke Christmas morning with childlike anticipation of the day to come. This was going to be a day with no worries about Draco's potential fiancé, or who Lacey Jasmine Carter was. This was going to be a nice day with the family playing Quidditch in the snow.

"Ginny, Gin, get up, mum wants you downstairs," a mix of Fred and George's voices came from the other side of her door,

"I'm coming," she mumble-shouted and she pulled on her favourite fuzzy socks and old t-shirt; not caring if Harry thought it was sexy for some weird reason, it was comfy.

"Good, because mum isn't even awake yet, we just wanted to make sure you were up so we can get a head start on our stockings," _those infuriating yet lovable disasters that my mother calls twins. Waking me up so that I can open stockings with them. Oh well, maybe they made coffee. _

"I'm only coming out of here if you make me coffee," she said through the door. She could practically sense her brother's smiles as one of them opened the door just wide enough to slip a steaming mug through to her.

"We knew you'd say that," Fred said as he pushed the door open further and let himself in, sure now that with coffee in hand Ginny was unlikely to attack.

"Idiots," she teased with affection as they dragged her down the rickety stairs and into the dark living room. Under the tree sat an abundance of gifts as well as ten stockings, one for each of the Weasley's and an extra for Harry. Ginny found her quickly (It was covered in glitter and sequins making it stand out). The Twins were arguing over whose stocking was whose – the socks being as identical as the twins they belonged to.

"I'm telling you, that one is mine Gred," George whispered angrily,

"It simply cannot be Forge, I remember this one from last year,"

"Does it matter?" Ginny whispered, half was through opening a box of Chocolate Frogs.

"No, but just because nobody can tell us apart it doesn't mean we should have to share everything," they said in perfect unision. Ginny put on a fake little pout for them,

"Poor baby twins, sharing their whole lives," she simpered and laughed as they nodded in agreement with identical pouts.

Both sad faces disappeared with equal speed when Ginny pulled out her next gift. It was wrapped in what appeared to be green satin – seriously, who wraps things in satin? – and tied with a silver bow.

"Mum never wraps things in Slytherin colours," the boys said in such a voice that suggested a great mystery was about to unfold. Meanwhile Ginny was fighting a large scale internal battle, _he wouldn't have sent me something for Christmas, I mean really. How did this end up in my stocking? It has to be safe to open if it's in my stocking, he had to know that. What if its something weird and romantic and comes with a cute note or a sonnet. I can't say this is from Terry, he would have used Ravenclaw colours. What will they do if I don't open it, that could be worse. Oh no oh no oh no oh no. Their looking at me funny, I probably have a freaked out expression, quick Ginevra, pass it off as curiosity,_

"Then I wonder who it could be from," she smiled carefully and began to untie the gift, "Perhaps the same secret admirer who doused me in flowers and golden owls," she suggested slyly, _That was good Ginny, keep that up because you can at least tell the truth. _

"Ew, a Slytherin admirer, gotta get rid of this one Gin," Fred said with a mouthful of chocolate,

"Well let's see it then," George added as Ginny pulled off the satin. Ginny smiled, it was nothing that would give Draco away. Inside the insane packaging was a charm bracelet with a carved jewel to represent each of the Hogwarts houses; a ruby lion, an emerald serpent, a sapphire raven, and a honey coloured badger made of a stone Ginny didn't recognize and tucked at the bottom of the box was a red and white rose petal. Instinctively Ginny knew not to touch it until she was alone.

"Pretty," she sighed, "Well seeing as I won't be able to rid myself of this secret admirer without knowing who he is, I'll just have to appreciate the gift,"

"A rich Slytherin," the boys mused, "Tell us who it is and we won't tell mum about the bracelet," they threatened evilly. _Crap on a cracker. Merlin's Pants. No matter what, Mum can't know about any of this. _

"Draco Malfoy," she whispered, "No telling anyone," the identical expressions of shock and disgust almost make Ginny laugh, almost.

"No!"

"And you allow it?"

"He's been a perfect gentleman and he isn't as bad as you think," She huffed while tucking the bracelet back into the box and shoving it into the bottom of her empty stocking then covered it with her other bounty.

"Really?" they looked suspicious,

"Yes really, and I'd appreciate it if you two gave him a chance, for my sake, and frankly for everyone's, he might start being nicer to people," of course the last part was a load of bull but they needn't know that.

"Well.."

"If you insist,"

"I suppose,"

"We could keep our mouths shut for a little while,"

"But if he hurts you in any way,"

"All bets are off," Ginny added the last part on herself, knowing that she would willingly help her brothers torture Draco if he hurt her. The first thing he would suffer from would be her signature Bat Bogey Hex; regardless of how much she loved him

(A/N sorry about the short chapter and the long gaps, I'm on vacation and it's difficult to write for long periods of time without being harassed. I'll try to give you several shorter chapters instead )


	21. Midnight Confessions

Christmas dinner came and went in a happy and delicious blur. Ginny received a series of joke products from the twins, a new pair of mittens from Ron (in Ron's defense they were adorable mittens), a book from Percy about prefects who gained power, an interesting charm from Bill that he said he found in Egypt but Ginny wasn't sure if she believed him, cute dragon hide shoes from Charlie and a sparkly new purse from her parents. All in all it was a good haul that year. Harry's gift was the last one she opened, thankfully it was a new book about Quidditch called: Brooms and Beaters, which was considerably better than what Ginny had been imagining – the horrors of which are too terrible to share.

It was late evening before she could escape to her bedroom and pull Draco's gift out of her stocking. Just as she was about to sit on her bed and take the rose petal in hand a loud tapping came from the window. A handsome owl was perched on the sill with a rather heavy looking box tied to its leg,

"Poor dear," Ginny mumbled as she opened the window and the owl swept into her room, bringing snow and cold air with it, "who made you carry that heavy box in this weather," she crooned while untying the bird's burden. Unlike most owls that flew away once their package had been delivered this owl seemed determined to stay and warm up a while. Smiling Ginny turned her attention back to the package. Her name was scrawled messily across the brown paper, deeming it unimportant Ginny tore through the paper viciously and found herself looking at a bronze package with blue ribbon; this had to be from dear Terry then.

Wrapping paper and ribbon tossed to the side Ginny found a card,

_Ginevra, to thee I wish a merry Christmas. I hope you are having a wonderful time with your family and I can again only hope that you may allow me to steal some of that time for myself. I dearly wish to invite you to my family's annual New Year's Eve Ball. Actually it isn't my family's ball but rather one I have attended every year since birth. I beg of you to come with me as it will make the night far more pleasurable. _

_ With much affection and hope ~Terry Boot _

Well wasn't he the sweetest thing since chocolate mint Berty Botts Beans. New Year's Eve, looked like Terry was looking for a kiss under a full moon; well Ginny was hoping to reserve those for a certain Slytherin. _Perhaps I'd better write to Lindy and see if she knows anything about this party, but she did just do that thing for me with Draco. She won't like that I'm doing something with Terry. Maybe I should just ask her what to do before I write back to him. Goodness what is it with men these days. _

Deciding to ignore the invite until she had seen the gift, Ginny turned to the box at hand; carefully pulling back the lid and peeling back a thin later or metallic paper Ginny gasped. Inside the package – which was charmed for warmth and fresh air – sat a tiny silver owl. Its feathers ruffled and it gave a quiet hoot as it looked up at Ginny with its dark eyes. A note was tucked in with the bird; _This is Esme, her species are distant cousins of the phoenix. Esme, although small can carry very heavy loads and she is immensely faithful. I hope you like her ~T _

Ginny didn't just like Esme, she loved her. Reaching into the box Ginny stroked her warm feathers and felt her back rise and fall with each quick breath. Terry's owl looked into Esme's box and gave a soft hoot of greeting that Esme returned.

"Well aren't you a pretty girl," Ginny cooed to her new owl, "How thoughtful of Terry, but I do wonder if he's just trying to upstage Draco's golden owl trick, it doesn't matter does it Esme, I love you all the same," _I have to go to that party now. Merlin I'm going to be in trouble with Lindy. _

Apparently warm now, Terry's owl took off through the window and left Ginny alone with Esme and Draco's gift. Sitting Esme on the corner of her bed Ginny reached for the box she had been about to open before being interrupted. She listened carefully at the door to make sure everyone else was sleeping – or at least not wondering the halls – before reaching into the box and pulling out the petal. The moment her hand touched it, it began to shift. This time it didn't turn into a bouquet or a card; it kept on changing until Draco himself stood right in front of her.

Ginny forgot to breath. Draco was here, in her room in the middle of the night!

"Well, that wasn't what I expected," she finally managed to whisper, _what the hell am I going to tell my family if they hear me talking?_

"Then it appears I've done my job of surprising you," he murmured, "May I?" he indicated to the empty patch of bed beside her; she nodded blankly and continued to stare at him while he sat down,

"Have you been in that box all day transfigured into a flower petal?" had he heard he talking to Esme? Oh goodness what if he knew about Terry and the New Year's Ball!

"Actually no, I charmed the petal to summon me when you touched it, clever little piece of magic if I do say so myself," he smiled in a smug sort of way, "Pretty bird," he added looking towards Esme,

"Um yes, she was a gift, may I ask if there was any particular reason you wanted to be summoned to me this evening?" Draco tossed back his pale head and shook with silent laughter,

"Ginny you ought to see you face, scared senseless of your own boyfriend,"

"Is that what you are?" she had hoped that he wasn't still playing her, pleaded with herself that he cared as much as she did, but she had never dared believe it.

"Ginny Weasley, sweet, sweet girl, I told you I'd wait, I told you I'd be anything you wanted me to be, but I can't wait anymore, I want to be something to you and I want you to be something to me and for now I think being able to call you my girlfriend may suffice," his grey eyes looked earnest as he reached out to take her cold hands in his, "Please Ginny, please say you care for me too," she closed her eyes and imagined that he could hear the pounding of her heart, but there was something getting in the way of her telling him everything she felt.

"Are you engaged?" the words flew out of her mouth like a firebolt with a tailwind. Honesty and adoration turned to fear and withdrawal the moment the words left her mouth. This time he closed his eyes and Ginny watched as the pink drained from his cheeks,

"I do not wish to lie to you Ginny, but I wish even less to hurt you," he whispered, not letting go of her shaking hands,

"Please, tell me the truth," she did want the truth, didn't she? Or would pretending be better than knowing he could never be hers?

"Yes, yes I am promised to another girl, but I beg you Ginny to hear me out, I do not wish to marry her, I never have, I can't love her and I never will, please Ginny," Draco's eyes brimmed with something that Ginny would have called tears had she not been looking at the cold hearted Prince of Slytherin,

"Who is she?" Ginny tried to keep her voice even but it broke and a sob burst forth; at this Esme leapt down from her perch and flapped over to Ginny, perched on her lap and cooed quietly in a comforting way.

"Lacey, you saw her at the dance," he sounded almost physically injured as he said her name, as if even thinking about her hurt him grievously.

"How did you picture you and I ending Draco, if you knew all along that you had to be with her and I was going to be left out in the cold? How could you do that to me, to any girl?" her voice shook with hidden tears and she tried to pull her hands away, but his grip was firm,

"I don't want us to end, I hoped that perhaps my parents would see things differently now, that my mother could let me out of the engagement now that father is in Azkaban, I had hopes that Lacey would fall for another wizard and then we could both be free, I didn't think about an endgame Ginny, when I'm with you I always seem to be trapped in the joy of the moment, just listen to how terribly Hufflepuff I sound," at this last he gave a small smile,

"You care for me enough to defy your father and Lacey?" she asked as Esme glared up at Draco; she seemed to have decided that he was the one causing Ginny's distress and therefore deserved to be glared at, at the very least.

"I care for you enough to say that I don't care what's going on between you and Boot, to ignore any family history, and to leave Lacey a hundred times over, and to talk in a terribly sappy yet accurate way apparently," with each joke Ginny's mood lifted slightly, "I can only hope that you care as much as I do," he lost eye contact her with and looked down at their interlocked hands, "I love you Ginny,"

Ginny's heart must have stopped beating for at least a minute and time definitely skidded to a halt. Everything, including the glaring Esme, went perfectly still and silent. There was nothing except his stormy eyes and her crying heart. But it didn't have to break, not yet. She could choose to do this with him, to test the trials that Lucius would certainly throw at them and to defy her own family's wishes.

"I," she began, "I love you too," the words were barely out of her pink lips when Draco leaned in and kissed her. Never before had any of their kissed been so forceful and so passionate. Draco had seemed happy to let Ginny set the pace but now he could do nothing but express his joy and love, no holds barred.

Too soon Ginny was whispering for him to stop, it was late, everyone was asleep and Draco was snogging her on her bed; this could lead to dangerous waters before Ginny had time to think twice.

"I promise I'll find a way to rid myself of my parents promise to Lacey," he whispered in her ear, "and I promise that you can send and owl back to Boot, telling him you'll go to the ball and I won't be angry with you, jealous perhaps, but not angry," Ginny suddenly slapped him away,

"How did you know that?" she demanded in a whisper,

"You left the card on the floor Red, I couldn't help but notice it, and you seemed worried and the owl is new, don't hex me please," he opened his eyes wide and pouted. Ginny smiled and kissed his adorable frown,

"Is there any way you can come to the Ball as well, to keep an eye on Terry for me," she smiled up at him, making her eyes large in turn.

"Luckily for you, Red, my family has been on the invite list for centuries," He took his turn and kissed her pout, then the tip of her nose.

"Oh good, I was worried that my New Year's kiss was going to have to be from Terry," she teased but stopped very suddenly when she heard a creek from the stairs above, "You'd better go," she further lowered her voice,

"Yes, I imagine this would be rather compromising for you wouldn't it," the humour Ginny loved was back in his voice,

"Just go you idiot," she gave him a gentle shove and he reached out towards the rose petal, touched it with a single, long finger and vanished.

Not a moment too soon either, Molly Weasley opened the door a fraction to look in on her daughter,

"Ginny dear why aren't you asleep?" Molly whispered in a worrisome way,

"I couldn't, so I've been talking to Esme," Ginny gave a wide, but very fake yawn,

"Esme?" her mother questioned, Ginny gestured towards the silvery owl – who in the moonlight looked almost patronus like,

"A gift from a school friend," Ginny smiled and her mother's face relaxed,

"I did hear voices," Molly teased, "I was beginning to think you had snuck a secret lover in here," she gave a sly smile and Ginny answered,

"Wouldn't that be something, night Mum,"

"Goodnight dear,"

(A/N Reviews are such lovely things…..)


	22. Lacey Jasmine Carter

Ginny awoke the following morning feeling that she had just left a beautiful dream. Sighing with happiness she propped herself up on her elbows and glanced around her every-messy room. Something flopped onto her leg and Ginny jumped before realizing that it was only Esme. _It wasn't a dream, Esme is real and there's the rose petal, Draco was really here, oh wow. And he told me that he loves me! _

Draco opened his silvery eyes and looked up at the ceiling thinking about his night with Ginny. She was so perfect, so loving, so everything he every needed to feel whole again. He loved her, and she loved him and today he was going to talk to his mother about Lacey. Today would be the day; then he would be free of her. Free forever of the devious Lacey Jasmine Carter.

A soft knock came from his door,

"Draco dear, we have visitors," his mother's gentle voice sounded like honey flowing over rocks but was rough as sandpaper compared to Ginny's,

"Who is it?" he said with a yawn, slowly he began to pull himself out of bed and looked towards his closet,

"The Carter's dearest, just Lillian and Lacey," _crap. _

"Do I have to talk to her?" perhaps he could avoid this, he didn't want to talk to her now, not so soon after being with Ginny, Lacey would tarnish those memories like blueberry juice on a white shirt – not that Draco had ever ruined his clothing.

"Of course you have to talk to her Draco, she's not a strange girl on the streets or the dance floor, this is Lacey," Narcissa sounded like she wasn't going to put up with much more of Draco's crap regarding Miss. Lacey Jasmine,

"That's exactly the problem," he muttered under his breath before saying aloud, "Alright alright, I'm coming,"

Draco quickly dressed in clean robes and checked his hair to ensure that it was still flawless perfection – it was – before he began making his way through the manor and into the front room. Lacey sat there is all her dark glory; hair curled to perfection and settled over her shoulders in stark contrast to his pale mother. Lacey's eyes found his and a weak smile crossed her reddened lips, he did not return it.

"Draco dear, aren't you going to say 'Hello' to Lacey," his mother looked at him with wide eyes, shocked by his sudden lack of manners,

"Good Morning Miss. Carter, I presume you are well?" Draco pulled on the mask he had worn his entire life; a mask of politeness and pride.

"I am well Master Malfoy, and yourself?" Draco thought he heard a hint of stress in her normally relaxed voice. Her cheeks paled as he looked closely at her with suspicion,

"A little tired perhaps, but I am also well," he took his seat across from her and waited for his mother to serve breakfast and coffee (there would be no tea for the Malfoy's and Carter's, Mrs. Carter and Lacey came from a line of Royal Ethiopian wizards and coffee was in their blood – it was also what happened to give the women their exotic beauty)

"It is wonderful to see you Lillian," Mrs. Malfoy prompted in an attempt to restart the conversation after the coffee had been poured,

"Likewise Narcissa, but you know I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important so I will cut to the chase, perhaps we should let the children talk while we discuss this," Lillian Carter spoke carefully and gave Narcissa a meaningful look to say that letting Lacey and Draco speak was important.

"Of course Lillian, we need not trouble our little dears with our talk, Draco dear, why don't you show Lacey the gardens, I myself find them quite beautiful in the winter," Narcissa smiled coldly at Draco, her eyes telling him not to argue.

She was right, the gardens had a dark sort of beauty in the winter, a frosted and cold beauty almost like Lacey herself.

Draco took her arm and led her towards he coat. They did not speak as Draco helped her into her coat and boots before adorning himself. They did not speak as Lacey took his proffered arm and followed him out into the yard. They didn't speak until Draco was driven mad by her determined silence,

"What do you want Lacey? Don't pretend you don't want anything, your mother is here on a mission," He stopped walking and pulled the girl around to face him. Her dark eyes glinted dangerously reminding him for just a moment of his Aunt Bellatrix.

"I need you to leave the redheaded girl, I can't have you mooning after her on the dawn of my wedding, our wedding," Draco had to keep himself from flinching at her icy tone,

"I've been with many women before Lacey, and you with many men and we have never told the other to call it off before, why now and why her?" Draco let a sneer come onto his pale lips as Lacey took his arm again and forced him to walk,

"Because my reputation cannot afford to have my fiancé looking at another girl, I need you to be completely devoted to me from now on," She didn't look at him as she said it, instead glaring forcefully at the icy willow trees.

"Lacey Jasmine, what have you done to ruin your spotless reputation and why on earth should I help you?"

"HOW DARE YOU! How dare you not help me! I haven't done anything, for your information my father has gambled away all of my money, my family fortune is gone Draco, I have nothing left but you, but you need me as well, if you don't marry me everyone will always question you, always wonder why you didn't want me, why you defied your families wishes," as cold as she was trying to sound Draco could practically smell the fear on her. She needed him far more than he needed her. Without him she would be a ruined girl.

"No need to be angry Lacey, if as you say I need you as much as you need me then you have nothing to worry about," he sighed lightly and began looking around the garden. This time it was Lacey who pulled him to a stop and flung him around so she could look at him properly,

"You will not threaten me Draco Malfoy," slowly she drew her wand from an inside pocket, "You are nothing without your family, just as I am nothing without mine, you can't afford to defy them,"

"That's lovely Lacey, but why do this now, surely nothing much has changed, are families still intend to marry us at the end of the school year, why bother saying anything?"

"Because the end of the year isn't soon enough," her wand was shaking and Draco saw tears beginning to form in her black eyes, "When I said my father gambled away everything, I meant everything, my mother and I won't be able to keep up appearances to the end of the year without you and your mother,"

"That's what their talking about isn't it?" Draco pulled her arm away from Lacey and a sob escaped her, "their talking about changing the date of the wedding and they want to make it look like we just couldn't wait to be married,"

Tear flowing freeing Lacey nodded, "Mother wants the wedding to be soon, very soon,"

"How soon?" how could this happen, he had just promised Ginny that he would end everything with Lacey and now it looked like he could be married within a few months,

"New Year's Eve," Lacey whispered, she looked so alone standing there in the snow crying. Draco had never known her to cry before; she had always been strong and clever; never showing any sign of weakness,

"They want us to marry next week?" what was he going to do, what would Ginny do, Merlin she was going to murder him. Lacey just nodded and took a step towards him,

"Please Draco, please just pretend you love me, please, I know that somewhere deep inside your cold heart you care about other people, let me be one of those people," she took another step towards him, her wand arm limp at her side.

Draco could see no other option, he opened his arms and pulled her into a tight hug, "I do care about you Lacey, but you know that it will never be enough, I will never be able to love you or your mother for stealing my life like this," she sobbed and nodded into his shoulder,

"Can I ask you something Draco?" her voice was regaining some of its usual composure,

"Yes, I can't guarantee an answer though," he held her at arm's length and looked at her dark, exotic features,

"Do you love her, the redheaded girl you danced with?" It felt like trap to Draco, as if this is what Lacey had really wanted to know from the very beginning.

"Does it matter?" he delayed carefully,

"It does to me, it matters because I know you can never love me, but it will hurt me even more to marry the man I know and love feeling forever like I forced him into it and made him leave the girl he really does love,"

"You really want this to work don't you Lacey?" she stepped out of his grasp and pointed her wand at him again,

"I just told you that I love you Draco and you're toying with me! You are such an ass, now tell me if you love her!" her voice was loud and dangerous,

"Yes I love her," Draco only said it because he knew that his wand was in his room so he had no way to deflect any curse that Lacey cared to cast and knowing her, her hexes would be just as bad as Ginny's. At his words Lacey seemed to deflate; she lowered her wand and her shoulders drooped,

"Of course you do," she sighed, "I should have guessed really, but I kept hoping that you cared about me half as much as I care about you," She looked around like a lost child; walking slowing over to the weeping willow she began to run her hands over the softly frosted branches, "I wish you loved me Draco, I wish that this was easy for both of us and that I could make you happy, I had hopes that we could be together and be happy but I must be content with having you in body if not in soul," her cruel and cold tone was coming back but Draco supposed she had a reason to wear the mask she did; he had just broken her heart and would continue to break it every day of their lives.

He walked with Lacey in silence until they were called back into the house by their respective mothers.

"Draco darling I assume Lacey has filled you in on the situation," Narcissa asked, she had a look that told Draco she was worried about him, having just watching him dance with another girl that he obviously cared about,

"Yes, I understand perfectly," he gave Lacey a smile and her face lit up, she looked better for it and Draco could almost imagine her as a friend.

"Wonderful, us ladies have rearranged your wedding plans so that you may have a New Year's Eve Wedding, we'll send out the invitations tonight, now all you two have to do is appear at several parties together and act the picture of a young couple in love who cannot wait to be married and all crisis can be avoided," Lillian said quickly as if this were only a matter of business,

"Won't be difficult at all Mrs. Carter," Draco gave his future mother-in-law a smile and wrapped his arm around Lacey, who gave him a careful glance; unsure of whether she could trust his gesture.

"Wonderful, well Lacey we had better be going, we need to find you a wedding dress," Lillian was practically bursting with excitement, not only was her family saved from being shamed but now she had a wedding to plan.

Draco and his mother watched the Carter girls leave with bated breath. Finally they disappeared through the gate and Narcissa spoke,

"Are you alright Draco?" she looked at her beloved son,

"No, no I'm not, but I'm going to have to be," he tried to keep his voice strong,

"But what about Ginny, she really seems to like you," his mother was worried about him but Draco knew that no matter what he said about Ginny, Narcissa would still make him marry Lacey; simply because Narcissa had been friends with Lillian her entire life and now Lillain was in trouble and Narcissa was capable of saving her.

"I'll talk to Ginny and explain everything, she'll understand," Draco said coldly as he turned on his heal in order to return to his room. He left just in time, the moment his door closed and he was alone the tears came. _Ginny. _


	23. Lindy JackMason

Nothing was going to ruin Ginny's day, absolutely nothing; not even if Snape barged into the Burrow and demanded she write an essay about how to make Polyjuice potion that was four rolls of parchment long. Well maybe that would put a damper on the situation but still, that day was going to be the superhero of all days.

Today Ginny was going shopping with the Hydra; yup, all of them at once. They were either all on the invite list for the New Year's party or had been invited by people who were on the list. Naturally Lindy was an on the list girl, she had chosen to invite Jessica, and to everyone's surprise Lindy had then managed to get Blaise to invite Natalie. Apparently Lindy's influence over Blaise was growing – they were more and more like an old married couple every day.

Ginny had woken up early with anticipation and had already showered, eaten, fed the chickens, helped the boys de-gnome the garden, avoided Harry, had another shower – she hadn't intended upon getting so sweaty – and got dressed before the ladies arrived. She pulled her hair back in a neat ponytail and wore clothes that were easy to change in and out of in preparation for a long day of shopping. She jumped as the fire turned green but then relaxed as a high heeled foot stepped out of it and revealed Lindy.

"Heels Lindy, really? If you have sore feet after a few hours…" Ginny allowed herself to trail off as Jessica stepped out of her fireplace in more sensible clothing,

"Ginny darling, if only you lived with my mother, you would soon learn that heels are the ONLY shoes a lady can wear on a day out," Lindy sighed in false exasperation as Jessica looked self-consciously at her own comfy flats, "Of course that's just my mother's opinion Jess, have no fear I love your shoes," Jess perked up and the girls looked on to witness Natalie fell face forward out of the fire.

"OOmmmfff," she said with her face squashed up against the floor. It was a mark of the girl's friendship that Ginny, Lindy, and Jessica stood laughing their heads off for a solid minute before any of them make a move to help their fallen comrade.

"What happened Natalie?" Jessica asked in between giggles,

"This isn't funny," the fallen girl huffed as she struggled to her feet, "I almost got off at the wrong grate, I saw Terry for like half a second but he was shirtless and all yummm like y'all know he is and I guess I twitched, so when I got to this grate I was off balance and…" she glared at her friends when she realized that they were no longer laughing at her fall but the reason for it.

Natalie eventually relented and began to laugh at herself and the situation.

"Soooo," Ginny began, "Is he really that good looking shirtless?" she teased with only the slightest bit of curiosity,

"Well obviously he is," Lindy giggled, "He made Natalie try to jump out of a fireplace and grab him!"

"Shut up guys" Natalie gasped between fits of laughter, but it wasn't necessary; they had all been silenced by Ron and Harry's sudden appearance in their midst. Ron looked rather red around the ears and Harry was looking between Ginny and Jessica as if comparing the two.

"Morning Ronald," Ginny finally managed to spit out, "had a good sleep did you Harry," she tried to keep it sounding casual but burst out in laughter again half way through.

"What do you know about Harry's sleep?" Jessica burst out, but she didn't sound quite like she was laughing,

"Nothing Jess nothing, I was just trying to make…casual…conversation," the end of her sentence was broken up by another fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"Okay ladies, before we really give these boys a show lets pull ourselves together and get going," Lindy spoke with surprising clarity, Ginny supposed that sort of composure came with years of practice under the strict eyes of a high society mother. Jess and Natalie took a little while longer to compose themselves. Natalie kept thinking about seeing Terry half naked and Jessica couldn't get her mind off of Ginny's nonchalant comment about Harry sleeping – only a part of her wished that she could speak to Harry so calmly.

Once everyone had calmed themselves Ginny said a quick farewell to her mother and the ladies headed out for the day. Their first few stops were within the village of Ottery St Catchpole where Ginny lived. For a small wizarding town there was a surprising amount of nice boutiques – meaning two.

Lindy was practically dragging Jess around the first shop while Ginny and Natalie browsed through the dresses and tried to decide whether they wanted full length or short, full shirt, or slinky; truly it was a major decision.

"Oooohh, Jessica you have to try this one on!" Ginny heard Lindy hiss from across the store. She looked over to see the item in question, it was a cream and gold concoction following the theme of her Halloween dress. It was a short, full skirted, strapless number with a gold trim around the hem.

"It's cute," Jessica said grudgingly, "But do you think its screams New Years?" she ran her hands sadly over the fabric as if she deeply wished to buy it but was scared that it wouldn't suit her every need.

"Who cares?" Lindy muttered, "Just try it on okay," it wasn't a question.

As Lindy forced Jessica and the cream dress into a change room Ginny spied something in the corner of the shop that greatly appealed to her. The dress was a sort of turquoise and teal that reminded Ginny of mermaids tails in the pretty muggle stories that Hermione sometimes told her. Like a thief Ginny moved to the back of the store to get a proper look at the dress – she was afraid that someone else might see it if she moved too quickly, a rational fear of course if you have ever been to a dress store filled with competitive girls expecting a party.

As Ginny got closer to the dress she saw just how perfect it truly was, the colours swirled neatly together like a marble cake. It was silk with a ribbon designed to look like a corset tied up the back. The rest of the dress was make to fit closely to the skin with a square cut neckline. Sneakily she took the dress off of the rack and snuck into a change room, avoiding Lindy's gaze only by ducking behind a mannequin at carefully timed points.

"What you got there?"

"Arrgg," Ginny gasped as Natalie tapped her shoulder moments before she entered the change room and into safety.

"A dress Natalie, I'm trying to hide it from the piranhas out there," she motioned towards the other shoppers who were looking away with faux innocence – at least it was faux in Ginny's protective eyes.

"Well, let me see it then," Natalie huffed, "I'm not going to steal it Ginny, I've already got my eye on something else," she showed Ginny a small amount of folded fabric in her hands. Ginny giggled, smart girl, Natalie, Ginny thought; she knew how to hide the precious things one may find while shopping.

"Try it on," Natalie huffed again, growing more and more impatient,

"All right, all right," Ginny pulled the curtain in front of herself and allowed the dress to come out of hiding from behind her back, "Hello my pretty," she murmured at the fabric.

As suspected the dress fit Ginny like a well-tailored Armani suit – not that she would know much about Armani suits. It screamed celebration and set Ginny hair off just right. With glee she stepped out of her room to find the others. Looking at herself in the large gilded mirror was Jessica in the cream/gold number looking again like a goddess from the past. Beside her was Natalie in a pale pink number; Ginny didn't see what would have attracted Natalie to the dress until she turned around. On the front of Natalie's supposedly calm pink dress was a large bow that sat just under her bust with ribbon that continued down her stomach to the hem of the dress; all in her favourite shade of shocking pink.

"Isn't it fabulous!" she giggled as she spun, "It's like, Hello, don't I look demure today JUST KIDDING!" the fabulous girl burst into a full out laugh as she thought about how people might react. "But you look awesome as well Ginny, really, I Looooove it,"

"Don't we all," another voice, a rich voice that made velvet, fresh cream, and dark chocolate seem weak and thin in comparison. Ginny spun on her heel to look at the speaker. She was a dark haired girl of middling height with eyes like the dark side of the moon and Ginny recognized her.

"I mean really, Ginny is it?" she waited for the girls to nod, "It looks darling I'm sure your man will just adore it, you do have a man don't you?" Ginny narrowed her eyes, she was so sure she recognized this girl. Feeling a hand on her waist Ginny looked over her shoulder to see Lindy, eyes blazing,

"Lacey Jasmine Carter, I didn't expect to see you here, I had imagined that a girl such as yourself chose her gowns months beforehand,"

"Lindy Jack-Mason," Lacey replied, equally Lindy's cold yet respectful tone, "I imagine you have received my invitation, or perhaps you have not been home?" in Lindy's support she didn't so much as bat an overlong dark eyelash,

"I must have just missed it, perhaps you would care to fill me in on recent events," Her voice was slow, careful, Lindy knew she was treading dangerous ground with Lacey.

"It would be rude to discuss such a thing in-front of people who are not invited Lindy," Lacey had a look to her face as if she wished nothing more than to share her story with everyone but knew that bragging was not appealing to a lady.

"We are among friends Lacey, they understand the difference in our families and their various traditions and friendships, you may speak freely," Lindy looked over her shoulder at her friends with a cautious gleam in her dark eyes. For a moment Ginny imagined that Lindy and Lacey were twins, Lacey being the evil one.

"If you insist Lindy, the invite you must have missed this morning was nothing more or less than my wedding invitation," Lacey stood up a little straighter and a sparkle lit up the back of her dark eyes,

"Married, so soon Lacey? Oh all the hearts you'll break, may I ask who the lucky man is?"

"Draco," Lacey held her pretty head up proudly and looked at Ginny, "Draco Malfoy".


	24. The Begining of the End

(A/N you have more power than you realize dear readers, any suggestions given in reviews will be taken in to account, besides, I would dearly like to know what you think about the direction I'm taking the story in)

_"If you insist Lindy, the invite you must have missed this morning was nothing more or less than my wedding invitation," Lacey stood up a little straighter and a sparkle lit up the back of her dark eyes, _

_ "Married, so soon Lacey? Oh all the hearts you'll break, may I ask who the lucky man is?" _

_ "Draco," Lacey held her pretty head up proudly and looked at Ginny, "Draco Malfoy". _

Ginny's body went ridged. Had she heard Lacey correctly? She was sure she had and from the way the other girl looked at her she just knew that her hearing wasn't impaired.

"Congratulations," Ginny felt like Lindy's voice was coming from deep under water; it was blurred around the edges and far away.

"Thank you, Draco and I have been together for ages but lately we've grown so close and we just decided that we didn't want to wait anymore," Lacey sounded breathless with happiness, one could have believed that she was genuinely over-the-moon with joy about her upcoming nuptials.

Ginny was working towards making her body function again. Had he lied to her? He said he loved her and not Lacey, he had promised her that he was going to leave Lacey no matter the cost, but here Lacey was with a glittery new ring on her finger. A ring that she was currently showing to Lindy who – with great force of mind and years of training – was admiring it. Truly it was a very pretty ring, Ginny had to admit, as it caught the sunlight streaming into the shop.

"I'm afraid that this might throw a damper on the New Year's Eve party though," Lindy sighed, "the guest list for that and my wedding and quite similar, as you can imagine I'm sure," she was speaking solely to Lindy but her voice carried.

Meanwhile Ginny's hurt and rage was growing. He had played her and lied to her and made her convince herself that she loved him but the whole time he was still planning on marrying Lacey, on being with her and loving her. Well say no more, that cold hearted, ass-faced, Slytherin rat was going to regret the day he played with Ginevra Molly Weasley, and then, he was never going to see her again.

"Lacey," Ginny was shocked to hear her own voice sounding so calm, "Let me properly introduce myself, I'm Ginny Weasley and I go to school with your Draco and may I say you could not have found yourself and more wonderful man," Ginny walked calmly towards the evil psychotic little beo-tch and shook her hand, "Truly, he is such a gentleman, you're a very lucky girl," she looked calmly into Lacey's eyes and hoped that her expression would cause Lacey to tell Draco later that she hadn't looked upset or surprised in the least.

"Thank you Ginny, I really do appreciate it," but the happy expression on Lacey's face flickered for a moment to disappointment and despair, just long enough for Ginny to understand the Lacey had wanted a fight for Draco, she had wanted to be forced to fight and win. Well Ginny just wasn't going to give her that sort of satisfaction.

"You know what, even if your wedding is the event of the night I think I'll still get myself the dress for New Year's Eve, Terry will be expecting me," Ginny looked at herself in the mirror and gave a twirl. The dress was even more perfect now because the blue was more suited to a Ravenclaw then a Slytherin, and perhaps, so was she.

"I'm fine Lindy I promise," Ginny said as she and Lindy said their last goodbyes before Lindy flooed home,

"Okay, fine, lie to me all you want Ginny I know you're not fine, but you're going to be," Lindy wrapped her arms around Ginny in a warm hug, "Just don't do anything rash okay,"

"I won't, nothing I wouldn't do in front of you, Natalie, or Jess,"

"That doesn't count for much Red," Lindy teased as she tossed the glittery powder in the fireplace and stepped into the flames. Immediately Ginny dashed up to her room and pulled out her quill and a roll of fresh parchment.

_Terry,_

_ I would in all ways be delighted to attend the New Year's Eve ball with you. I am aware that perhaps I have not been as clear as I hope to be in some areas of my life and there is something that I wish to make clear to you; there is nothing between Draco Malfoy and myself, this I can promise. I know that there have been things to make you question this but I beg you to believe me. Moving on from that unpleasantness, I would again like to thank you for inviting me and I look forward to spending the evening with you. Lindy has informed me that she will be attending, with Blaise Zabini, and I will be arriving with them. Find me quickly for I fear I shall not be able to tolerate their company for long. _

_ Missing you greatly, Ginny _

_p.s. Esme is absolutely wonderful and I cannot thank you enough!_

Giving a quiet whistle Ginny called with aforementioned Esme to her side and tide the letter to her leg. Esme gave a hoot before taking off into the evening. Ginny lay back on her bed, she hadn't been rash in writing to Terry and she hadn't lied. There was nothing between her and Draco Malfoy, he was getting married to Lacey Jasmine Carter and that was that.

A double nock came from her door,

"mmff," Ginny acknowledged and the twins came in.

"We noticed that you seemed a bit down at dinner, and your friend Lindy seemed to be worried about you," Fred said as he sat down on her bed

"Yeah, so we were wondering, are you okay?" George sat on her other side and they both looked at her with genuine concern,

"You know that talk we had about not beating up Draco Malfoy yet," the twins nodded and looked at each other with worried expressions, "I now give you both free reign to torture him in all ways, prank him, embarrass him, and destroy his life,"

"What in Merlin's name did he do to you?" they demanded

"He got engaged," Ginny whispered, "He told me he loved me and convinced me to care for him then he went and got his pale ass engaged to some chit from Beauxbatons," she tried not to cry, but the twins were her closest friends, closer even then the Hydra.

"Oh Gin," Fred whispered, he leaned forward and picked her up, cradling his baby sister in his arms Fred began to plan, "I'll kill him Ginny, for you I'll murder his sorry ass,"

"He'll regret the day he laid eyes on you and even more the day he looked away," George chimed in.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Draco lay on his silk sheets staring at the ceiling. Should he write to Ginny and tell her what had happened? That seemed so cold but he couldn't see how else he could contact her. Before he could even pick up a quill to begin writing out his love and apologies someone opened his door, crept across the room and covered his eyes.

"Lacey," he said,

"You didn't even give me time to say 'guess who' " she pouted and plopped herself down on his bed, crossing her legs she tipped her head to look at him properly, "I ran into your Girlfriend today," she whispered. That was it, the final straw; Lacey was in no way allowed to be in Ginny's life.

"Tell me you saw her from across the street and just kept on walking Lacey," Draco told his fiancé coldly

"No, she was in the dress shop with her friends, one of whom happens to be on the invite list to our wedding, I could hardly ignore them," she pouted again, "Anyway, Lindy insisted I tell her everything right there in the shop and I couldn't just tell her to go home and read the invite, there was no way around it, but not to worry, Ginny didn't seem all that upset or surprised or anything she just introduced herself to me and congratulated me on finding such an excellent partner, which of course is completely true, but I must say Draco, I think she might have been playing you all along, if she really did care about you then the news would have upset her," Lacey stopped talking very suddenly as she looked at her beloved Draco's eyes; they were not the warm grey she remembered, but rather they resembled a storm cloud determined to pelt someone with sleet.

Draco said nothing. As there was nothing to say, the girl he loved had given no reaction when told that he was going to be married. How was one supposed to react?

"Draco," Lacey whispered, "Are you okay?" she reached out to him and put her pale hand on his shoulder, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, as you said Lindy insisted, wasn't your fault," the flatness in his voice worried Lacey, would she lose him now, after all she had done to ensure that they would be together? Would she lose the man she had loved and adored since she was six years old because she had been jealous? She couldn't and wouldn't allow it. There had to be something she could do to fix everything, had to be something…

"I'll write to her, I'll explain everything, I'll tell her that I made you do this that you don't love me, I'll tell her the truth I promise, this is my fault Draco I made her hate you, she's mad at you for not telling her and now she's pretending to hate you, I know she's just pretending because how could she not fall in love with you? It's impossible, I'll write and explain everything and then at least you'll know the truth, please Draco," genuine tears bled from Lacey's eyes, as she clung to the arm of her fiancé; who loved another woman.

"The truth isn't going to fix this Lacey, the truth will make leaving it behind even harder, I'm not mad at you, you did what you had to do to protect yourself and your family, I would have done the same, don't write because it doesn't matter if she loves me or hates me, because it won't change the fact that I will never be with her again, because in two days time I am going to marry you,"

"But Draco…"

"Not another word Lacey, from now on as far as you know I am madly in love with you and only you and Ginny is just a girl you met in a store," his voice was empty of all emotion,

"Draco no, she's worth more to you than that I can see it, I won't just pretend that this…" whatever she was going to say was drowned out with a resounding yell from the man beside her,

"Lacey Jasmine Carter you will do exactly as I say because it is the only way that I will be able to survive this," Lacey had once had a reputation for having cold eyes, some had even said that she reminded them of the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange, but now, Lacey's dark eyes held no coldness or fury compared to the icy anger within Draco's.

"It will be exactly as you say," Lacey whispered. Inside she was dying to do something, something to fix everything and make Draco happy again because she wouldn't be able to live with herself if he was miserable forever and it was her fault.

She started getting up, wanting to leave before she began to cry but Draco pulled her back to his side. He cupped her face in his hand and looked into her eyes,

"I love you Lacey," this time his voice held all of the agony he felt, all of the pain and loss he had experienced at her hands,

"I love you too," she forced the words from her lips and tried to look away, afraid that he would see her crying but his eyes held in her place as he lowered his face to hers and gentle kissed her pink lips.


	25. Addiction

Ginny put the finishing touches on her outfit for the evening; a little bit of lip gloss, blue eye-liner, and some strappy shoes she'd found to match her dress. All in all she looked very pretty, much more girlfriend material take-home-to-mother looking than she ever had in any of Draco's gowns.

"Another party Ginny?" Harry asked as she came down the stairs and into the kitchen, he looked at her appraisingly, "Another party with Malfoy," he added in an undertone,

"No actually, Terry invited me to this one but thank you so much for sticking your nose into my personal affairs once again Harry, I really do appreciate it," the words flew like venom from her mouth, "And since you're so interested in Malfoy I feel I can inform you that he's actually getting married tonight," that last part was said in a rush, the words practically leaping from her mouth, desperate to be said.

"He's WHAT?" Harry blurted, "No way, Malfoy married, that's ridiculous Ginny, who told you that?"

"His Fiancé of course, I met her in the dress shop, lovely girl," Ginny turned her back to Harry and looked around for the floo powder, "Don't worry about me Harry, my mother knows where I am this evening, Lindy will be taking me and that's all she needs to know alright, I don't need her nosing into my affairs as well because I have you for that don't I," Harry gave her a wan smile and turned back to whatever he was doing before Ginny had waltzed in. Looking closer Ginny noticed that he was writing a letter,

"Who're you writing to?" she asked before realizing that it was rather hypocritical of her to do so; Harry chuckled at her before answering,

"Seeing as you must know, I'm writing to Jessica," he said, cheeks turning a litter pinker than usual,

"Oh are you now?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and gave her best suggestive look – which really was rather good.

"Yes I am and it's none of your business Ginny even if she is your friend," Perhaps he had missed a few lessons on what was and what wasn't a girl's business because when it came to best friends and their romantic lives, everything was everybody's business.

"Oh please Harry, but if you won't tell me, I'll just ask Jess about it myself so no worries," Ginny gave her brothers best friend one last teasing smile before tossing the powder in the fire and flooing to Lindy's.

"Ginny," Blaise was the one to greet her as she stepped out of the Jack-Mason fireplace, "Lindy is just finishing getting ready, will you wait with me?" he offered her his hand and helped her step out of the fire before pulling out a chair and helping her into it. The gestures almost upset Ginny's perfect, smiling appearance; it reminded her of Draco.

"Of course I'll sit with you Blaise, how are you and Lindy going nowadays?" she asked casually. Blaise smiled and almost closed his eyes as if he was picturing something,

"Lindy and I are as fabulous as ever, she's grown on me you know, I used to be upset about having to marry her just because I thought it meant I wasn't going to have any fun, her being a Gryffindor and all, no offense Ginny but us Slytherins have a very different perspective on fun," he paused to give her a warm smile to show that he really hadn't meant to offend her, "But Lindy is something else," he sighed and Ginny saw his smile broaden as she looked towards the staircase where Lindy was descending, "and there she is now, my Bella Lindastaire" Ginny looked at Blaise with surprise, the only time she had ever heard Lindy's real name had been during the sorting back in first year.

"Blaise, you know I prefer Lindy, Lindastaire is just so pompous," the gorgeous girl teased and she hugged her man and allowed him to kiss her cheek, "Ginny dear you look fabulous Terry is going to go insane when he sees you," Ginny couldn't help but think to herself that she would rather look like Lindy at that moment, dressed in her signature shade of red this time with a white sash and shoes with the arms of the man she loved wrapped around her.

"Alright Ginny, here's the plan, Blaise and I will attend the party for about an hour, at which time we have to go to the wedding, believe me I much rather wouldn't but I can't afford to offend anybody, we'll leave as early as is polite and try to find you again, okay?" Ginny could only smile and nod, Lindy was working so hard lately to keep everyone happy.

"Wonderful," she said after a moment's pause,

"Well then, let's be going," Blaise took Lindy's arm, who then offered her free hand to Ginny. They walked out to the edge of Lindy's family property where Blaise changes position so that he could grip each girl by the arm,

"Have you ever side-along apparated Ginny?" he asked calmly,

"No actually, but I've been told that it's rather uncomfortable," she gave a weak smile,

"Not to worry, it'll only last a moment and you'll look as perfect as ever," his dark face grinned at her, "One, two, three," one three Ginny felt Blaise's hand on her arm give an almighty tug and she was pulled into what felt like a giant rubber tube that fit very tightly against her skin.

The next moment everything popped back into place and she was standing outside of a large building watching streams of well-dressed witches and wizards walk by.

Ginny looked around to see Natalie and Jessica walking towards them arm in arm looking quite pleased with themselves,

"You found the right place then," Lindy teased as she gave each girl a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek, "You both look wonderful, let's go find some men for you both then," Lindy winked and turned to Ginny, and said in a mock whisper, "I can't stand the thought of them being alone tonight, who knows what havoc they could reek of left undistracted by gorgeous men,"

The two girls in question pouted then laughed evilly.

"Come along then ladies," Blaise said, taking Lindy's arm once more he marched them all inside, past the scary looking wizard at the door, whom Blaise and Lindy smiled at, and into a glorious ball room that appeared to be made entirely of precious and semi-precious jewels. Immediately Ginny saw Natalie begin scanning the room for a guy who was worth her attention; her eyes landed on none other than the infamous and dashing Adam Francisco whom Ginny had been introduced to at Christmas.

"You'll like him Natalie, he's as charming and rich as he is handsome," Ginny giggled when she saw Natalie's face light up. Jessica gave the room a quick scan before sighing, Ginny looked at her side on and noted the small frown on her pretty face,

"Nobody invited Harry I'm afraid," Ginny said quietly in Jessica's ear, Jess twitched a little,

"How do you know about that?"

"I caught him writing you a letter before I left home, how long's this been going on for?" Ginny noticed Terry across the room looking at her with a rather approving look in his eye; she held up a single finger and indicated that he wait a moment.

"Only a week, he wrote to me after he saw us all laughing on the floor at your house, told me he'd thought I was pretty for a while now and was interested in getting to know me better cause I seem like a great person," Jessica blushed but Ginny smiled, Harry's strange version of obsessive dedication would suit Jessica's insecurities,

"Are you happy?" she probed,

"I think that I could be happy," Jess evaded before smiling at Ginny and walking over to Natalie and Adam Francisco who was standing with a very handsome friend.

Ginny's eyes searched the room; trying to find Terry again but he wasn't anywhere to be found. Just before she started walking around the room to look for her date an arm wrapped around her waist and a voice whispered in her ear,

"You look ravishing Ginevra," Ginny turned around and found herself face to face with her blue-eyed tall, dark, and handsome Terry. Looking him up and down she gave a wide smile,

"Likewise," she grinned, "How have you been lately," she asked as he took her arm and began walking around the room,

"Oh, alright I guess, had a nice Christmas with the family, been catching up on homework, I know I know, I left it really late, practicing Quidditch, all that good stuff, and how about yourself?" he seemed much more interested in hearing about Ginny's holiday but honestly with Draco out of the picture she couldn't say that anything much had happened,

"Oh same old same old, got up early with the twins every day, played pranks on Bill and Charlie, avoided Harry, went shopping, that kind of thing," she tried not to sound to evasive and boring, and she had to remind herself that this was Terry she was talking to, it didn't matter how cool she sounded; he loved her already – or at least was completely infatuated with her.

"Well, it sounds like you had a relaxing time," he said in the creamy voice of his; it still made her heart melt and her legs weak but after so much time with Draco it was almost as though something was lacking.

"I did, so relaxing that I was almost bored so I was thinking that we should have a decent amount of fun tonight," Ginny said in a deceptively relaxed voice as she looked the other way. Terry tickled her side a little bit making her squirm,

"I think we can manage that," he leaned in towards her then ducked to the side to gently touch his lips to the place just below her ear and whispered, "Enough fun to make you forget about Malfoy getting married," Ginny froze, first because of the kiss and secondly because it was apparent that her letter had done nothing to fool Terry into believing that she and Draco had never been anything.

"It doesn't matter Terry, please just forget about him and let's focus on us, please," she looked up at his gorgeous face pleadingly,

"I'll forget about him when you do Red," he said sadly, "I know when I'm second pickings, the safe fall back guy because the one you really wanted went and did something stupid but it doesn't matter, somehow I'll win you back," he gave a pale smile and wrapped his arm around her,

"Make me forget he ever existed," Ginny whispered, "I don't want to remember," she choked on her last words and Terry pulled her closer,

"Don't cry Ginny, he broke your heart and in my books that just means he didn't deserve it in the first place," he kissed the top of her head and made her look at him again, "Let him get married and be miserable because he won't be allowed to mess around anymore, for a player like him no punishment could be worse than being married to a girl who loves him," he grinned at the end because Ginny was smiling again.

"I've missed you Terry, truly," she smiled and he took her hand,

"Then dance with me," he ordered, "and prove just how much you missed this Ravenclaw," she smiled and happily stepped into his arms as the beginning notes of the song drifted over the crowd.

Draco was a superb dancer but Terry left very little to be desired as he lead Ginny across the floor, each time she was spun back into his arms he would whisper sweet nothings into her ear and make her smile.

To say that they danced every dance for the next hour would be an understatement. They laughed and joked and teased Lindy and Blaise for falling for each other. They made friends with Adam Francisco who seemed equally taken with Natalie as she was with him, despite the age difference and Jessica who was in raptures on the arm of Adam's friend.

At the end of the hour Lindy looked with pity towards her redheaded friend and whispered something in Blaise's ear. Blaise looked over at Ginny with the same sadness as the girl beside him but then nodded to Lindy; the pair waved to Terry to indicate that they were leaving and swept out of the room with great dignity.

If the goal had been to keep Ginny oblivious to their exit in order to keep her mind away from Draco they had failed brilliantly; her sharp eyes saw everything and while she appreciated what they were trying to do for her she also wished that they didn't treat her like a dying patient.

"Come on Red, let's get something to eat," Terry had his arm around her waist and was leading her towards a small side room filled with food,

"I'm not hungry," Ginny tried to sound calm, as if she truly wasn't hungry and that her lack of appetite was not spawned from misery, it didn't work,

"Red, you wanted to forget him, wanted to make it seem like it never happened you can't keep doing this is you want to forget can't focus on him all the time, and you know I don't like to complain but it hurts me as well you say you miss me but then the look on your face when he's mentioned just makes me remember that you miss him more,"

"I'm sorry Terry, I'm really really sorry," Ginny turned into him and tucked her head into his chest eyes brimming with tears, "I don't want to miss him, I want to hate him but I can't and I want to love you, I really do and I'm going to try and…" her words faded into tears and Terry let her cry into his shirt.

"You don't have to care Ginny, please don't just come back to me because you feel you owe me something or I don't know, just don't pretend and then leave me stranded because I care about you and I don't want you to have to fake anything I just want you to be happy," he stroked her flaming hair and pulled back her head, forcing her to look at him, "Be happy Ginevra, and if that means walking away right now, go ahead," Ginny gave one last sob before pulling herself together and looked up into Terry's honest and loving face,

"Don't think that way Terry, I'm not going to walk away from you and it's not because I'm some needy girl who needs a guy in her life to feel alive or like I'm worth something and it's not because I owe you anything, I'll stay because I want to and because I care about you," she gave him a smile and stretched up on her tippy toes to give him and kiss,

"Woah woah," Terry pulled back and looked at her with one eyebrow raised,

"What, what's wrong?" Had she done something wrong?

"It's not midnight yet Ginny, I'm afraid you're going to have to resist me until then," He gave her a seductive wink and they both started laughing,

"I'll do my best," Ginny giggled,

"Good, because I don't think I'll be able to resist you much longer if you keep throwing yourself at me like that," he teased and Ginny smacked him playfully on the arm. For the moment, everything was perfect.

"Pssst, Ginny," Ginny twirled out of Terry's arms and looked around for the source of the voice, "Ginny, over hear," the red head looked around until she saw a partially open door and a pale hand motioning towards her,

"I'll be back," Ginny smiled at Terry and went to investigate the voice, she slipped behind the door and felt someone grab onto her arm,

"Just follow me for a second I'm going to find a light," the creamy female voice was familiar,

"Okay, I'm following," Ginny muttered, she had a bad feeling about the person she guessed the voice belonged to. A few minutes of walking in the dark later a light sprang up in front of Ginny and she got a good look at the mystery girl. It was Lacey; she looked fabulous in a flowing white dress with her hair done up and a veil that trailed behind her like a morning mist.

"Wow, Lacey you look wonderful but aren't you supposed to be getting married?"

"I did get married," she showed Ginny the rings on her hand to prove it, "But I need to talk to you and I only just got away and I only have a minute and Draco would kill me if he knew I was here," she sounded frantic, not the put together girl that Ginny had seen in the dress shop,

"Okay, talk," Ginny tried to sound casual and unworried but she came across rather brisk,

"It's about Draco okay and I promised him I wouldn't talk to you but I have to because the guilt is eating me from the inside out and it's like acid in my stomach and if I don't talk to you I feel like I'm going to die from guilt," she paused to catch her breath, "I know about you and Draco and I know that he loves you, but I also know that I've loved him since I was about six years old and I knew that one day I would marry him, we didn't intend on it being this early but my father got into some financial issues and now to save face the only thing we could do was have me marry Draco early, and I love him, I always have but I know he doesn't love me, but right now he's terrified that you hate him and he's pretending otherwise and I can't stand to see him in so much pain because I know that it's my fault, and I just wanted you to know that he never lied to you about anything, he was going to leave me until I basically blackmailed him into this and he does love you and, I guess that's all I wanted you to know, just please don't hate him because of what I did, if you want to be mad at anyone be mad at me," She said all of this in a rather Hermione like rush.

"He didn't lie to me," Ginny whispered, "He wasn't playing," she said to more to herself that to Lacey,

"That's right, but when I said I'd write to you to explain everything he got really angry and I was scared and he told me that all the world was going to see from that point on was that he was in love with me, even though it's a lie and…" for the first time in her life, Lacey had no words for her misery and guilt, she had no words to express herself to her husband's ex-girlfriend.

"I'm not mad at you Lacey, you were saving your family and you love him, it's no more than I would have done if our places were reversed, I can forgive you, but I'm sorry because I can never forgive him for starting something that he very well knew he couldn't finish," Ginny's voice was cold when she spoke of Draco but she looked at Lacey with warm eyes, "I hated you because I thought you were in on it, I thought you were amused by me but now I feel nothing but sympathy for you and I'm going to hug you now," Ginny stepped forward and carefully wrapped her arms around her former boyfriends wife, being careful not to muss her dress.

"Ginny, I cannot thank you enough for your understanding and I wish I could stay and make friends with you but I will be sorely missed if I'm not back soon," she smiled her gorgeous smile and patted Ginny on the cheek, "Perhaps we can be friends?" she asked tentatively,

"Perhaps," Ginny smiled, "Now go back to your wedding before they think you've run off with some other man," Lacey smiled again and picked up her skirts, hurrying back to her new husband. Ginny chuckled to herself, only she could make amends with the girl who had stolen her boyfriend, any other girl would have hexed her into next week.

Walking back into the ballroom she scanned it for Terry and saw him sitting with Adam Francisco at a table white Natalie and Jess giggled and gossiped with each other some few meters away. Ginny walked over to her girlfriends and tried to pick up on the thread of the conversation,

"Well, he isn't Harry Potter but I finally understand why Lindy and Ginny fall for the charm and stuff," Jessica giggled, apparently Adam's friend was quite as charming as Adam himself,

"You should see that way the Adam looks at me, it's like I'm the only girl in the room and I just melt and did I tell you he's going to write to me,"

"Is he really?" Ginny asked, both girls jumped then relaxed when they realized it was Ginny,

"Yes he is," Natalie smiled, "Originally he seemed curious as to where Lindy was, apparently they had met before, but I told him that Blaise was the jealous type and that if he didn't want to be on the wrong end of several nasty hexes it would be better to leave Lindy alone, and then guess what he did, he laughed, I completely charmed him!" Natalie was beginning another fit of giggles when Lindy and her jealous Blaise walked back into the room looking rather glum,

"Why the long face Lindy?" Jess probed as Ginny watched Terry and Adam walk over to re-join the girls,

"Well, I know weddings are supposed to be fun and all, but seeing Lacey all dressed up does make a girl feel rather sub-par," Lindy sighed as she recalled the stunningly happy look on Lacey's face,

"I told her a hundred times that she's far prettier than Lacey but she just won't listen to me," Blaise complained, Ginny thought to herself that while Lacey was a beautiful girl there was something about her eyes and the set on her mouth and stop her from being as gorgeous as Lindy. Lacey was cold somehow, cold and proud and reserved as if she was always hiding who she truly was.

Lindy smiled happily up at Blaise, he raised their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. Inside Ginny fell apart. She was never going to be that relaxed with anyone, never going to be that sure of her partner. But wasn't that what she had loved most about Draco? The mystery of him, the danger, hadn't that been what had enticed her? She looked at Terry who was currently laughing at something Natalie had said; he was so happy, so peaceful and so safe that Ginny began to worry that she would never get that feeling of mystery and danger back and that was a feeling that Draco had made her crave.

The rest of the evening past in a relative blur of dancing, laughing, and eating with good company. As midnight approached slower songs were played to dance to and people started pairing off; some disappearing behind closed doors and others ducking into dark corners. If she had been with Draco, Ginny would have been one of those girls forced to hide who they were with but as she was with Terry, it was safe to be one of the brave couples dancing in the middle of the floor as the New Year's count down began. Ginny could see fireworks outside the window shaped like giant numbers counting down the seconds,

Ten; Terry pulled her closer, nine; he put his hand under her chin to look at her properly, eight; he smiled, seven; he lowered his forehead to hers, six; she closed her eyes, five; the sound of the fireworks filled their ears, four; Ginny stood up on her toes, three; with one arm Terry pulled Ginny's hips level with his, two; their lips almost touched, one; it wasn't the fireworks and burning intensity that she felt with Draco but something else entirely. It was slow and smouldering, like coals rather than flames. It was quiet in its intensity. It could have been hours for all Ginny knew before Terry pulled away and looked at her his eyes burning with the same quiet fire that was in his kiss.

"Pick me Ginny," He pleaded, "Forget him and pick me, I want to be your first choice, pick me," Ginny smiled but inside was nothing but turmoil; she adored Terry and loved that safe feeling he gave her, the knowledge that he wasn't playing or faking or ever going to leave made her feel whole inside but she had finally understood why the good girls always go for the bad boys and why she would never get over Draco; because it was intoxicating and addicting and in such a short while Ginny had become completely addicted.

"I chose you Terry, I promise to forget him and to stay with you for as long as you want me," Ginny hugged him close because she had just figured out how to get her favourite drug back.


	26. A Perfect Plan

The holidays were over and Ginny was once again packed and ready to board the Hogwarts Express; this time with a harder heart and longer hair.

"You feeling okay Ginny, you've looked a little down lately?" Hermione asked once they were alone on the platform – Harry and Ron having gone off with Lune and Neville,

"Oh yes, I'm perfectly fine Hermione, no need to worry," Ginny managed to say in a reasonably convincing tone, "Look, there's Terry, he'll be expecting me," she pointed in a random direction and dashed away to avoid further questions. Hermione was a wonderful friend but Ginny wasn't sure whether she was ready or not to tell her all about recent events. Harry had of course shared with Ron that Draco was married and Ron had gone and spilled the beans to Hermione who then came back to Ginny to torment her with unnecessary questions about her heart and emotions – which apparently should have been in a very delicate state. Ginny had managed to fend her off by saying that she was seeing Terry now and that Draco was a thing of the past.

Marching around the station Ginny tried to look as if she was doing something important; as oppose to running away from her inquisitive friend.

"There you are!" she yelled when she finally spotted Terry (for real this time), "You cannot imagine how inconvenient it was for me to have to search the entire platform for you just because I used you as an excuse to escape from Hermione!"

"Glad to be of service, sad to be nothing more to you than an excuse to escape your friend," he said quickly, "Come on, let's find a compartment before we're forced to sit with Lindy and Blaise," he laughed as Ginny made a face at the thought of watching Lindy and Blaise get all mushy for several hours with no escape route.

They found a compartment filled with a few other Ravenclaws; a few of whom Ginny remembered from the DA as well as their new Seeker John Peirce; whom Ginny had met briefly.

"You finally caught her huh Terry," Anthony teased, "A whole semester of pleading and whining and she finally gave in, I must admit Ginny I am a little disappointed in you, it was so much fun watching Terry Boy being strung along, cause you know, normally he's the one doing all the stringing along," Ginny laughed as Terry glared at his dorm mate,

"I was starting to feel a little cruel," Ginny pretended to admit, "He just looked so sad every time I walked away," she laughed with Anthony and even saw her ex, Michael Corner, give an appreciative smile.

"Yeah, that puppy dog face usually does the trick," Anthony grinned

"Something in the way he managed to look so pathetic," Ginny chimed in again,

"Okay, enough, ha ha ha 'let's all laugh at Terry time' is over now," Terry said firmly as he put his arm around Ginny's shoulders,

"Oh oh, perhaps it was the commanding, take charge voice," Anthony just couldn't resist one last jibe, sadly for him it was one jibe too many and Terry jumped out of his seat and punching him in the shoulder. From the resounding smack it sounded to Ginny as if Anthony was going to be hurting for a while.

"Alright boys, while you settle down I'm going to go find a few friends of mine who dearly miss me," Before she closed the door she turned back, "But not nearly as much as Terry missed me of course," she giggled madly as Terry leapt once more at his friend; who had snorted in laughter at Ginny's comment.

Naturally, Ginny had other reasons for leaving the compartment than just finding her friends. She had just seen someone walk by; someone she dearly wished to speak to about several rather important things.

"Seamus, Oi Seamus!" she hissed just before he re-entered the compartment he was sharing with Dean, Katie, and one of Katie's Hufflepuff friends.

"What?" He snapped before turning to look at who was speaking, "Oh, hey Ginny, what's up?" his accent made Ginny squirm,

"Nothing much really, I've only just escaped," she grimaced,

"Escaped from what? Harry and his fan club?" he laughed and took a few steps towards her,

"No, much much worse, a bunch of guys fighting over me," she sighed with faux exasperation and watched Seamus grin and roll his eyes,

"How dreadful, must be really awful," the sarcasm in his voice was exactly what Ginny had been hoping for,

"You have no idea, I know most guys seem to like watching cat fights and knowing that they caused them, but really, I could smell the testosterone," she shivered as if recalling something truly terrible. Seamus smiled; the two of them had always sort of gotten along from a distance when Ginny had been with Dean.

"Well, I can't say I wouldn't enjoy that," Seamus gave another heart stopping smile,

"Yeah, exactly," carefully, and according to plan, Ginny tipped her head to the side and bit her lip, "What didn't we stay friends Seamus? After I left Dean?"

"Cause Dean would have murdered me," Seamus said promptly, "He still gets jealous of your many men sometimes, especially that Terry Boot, I think that's because they're really similar people, well, as far as Quidditch goes,"

"Right, right, I suppose that's a decent reason; we wouldn't want you murdered now would we, but Dean really has no right to be jealous anymore isn't he with Parvati?

"Well yeah," Seamus admitted, "But I think he looks at you like the one who got away,"

"Oh well then, I'd better steer clear, anyway I'd better be getting back to my fighting boys, they'll begin to wonder if I've run off with someone else, see you later Seamus," she gave him a broad smile and watched as he opened the door to his compartment. Staying for one last second Ginny overheard Dean ask Seamus who he'd been talking with and heard Seamus reply that it was nobody. Which was really, well, perfect and according to plan.


	27. Malfoy and Finnigan

The great hall was filled with greetings and shouting when Ginny arrived for the start of term feast. She saw with pleasure that Lindy, Natalie, and Jess had saved her a seat – conveniently next to Seamus, not that they knew anything of the plan – as the girls motioned for her to join them Ginny looked around the hall in search of Draco. She found him sitting with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle looking distinctly unhappy. From her position in the hall she could just make out what Blaise was saying,

"Perk up Draco, honestly you'd think you'd been tortured this holiday instead of married to a gorgeous girl," Draco just shook his head and looked away. Determined not to care that Draco was upset about being married Ginny continued on her march towards her friends and Seamus. With grace she took her seat just as the headmaster stood to give his speech,

"It is wonderful to see you all back here after what seems now like hardly a moments time, however I will not bore you with speeches when I know all you want from me is food," Dumbledore motioned towards the tables which were now overflowing with the elves finest food and drink.

"I can't believe that Christmas is over already," Natalie sighed, "I mean, it's like Dumbledore just said, it seemed like forever when it was happening but now it might have only taken a minute," Jessica nodded in agreement but Lindy and Ginny kept quiet; neither of them felt that the Christmas break had been short enough.

"At least you get to see Harry now though," Natalie continued between mouthfuls, "I'm only going to get letters from Adam until Easter," she sighed as Ginny frowned,

"What's happening on Easter break?" she asked, trying to sound as curious as she supposed she should have been.

"He's invited me to stay with him in Spain!" Natalie said in a high pitched squeal, "It was really unexpected as well, it was his second letter and he was just like 'Oh and I was wondering if you would be willing to accompany me to my home in Spain over Easter' which was marvellous of course but I'm going to have to think of something to tell me parents,"

"That's great Natalie, and not to worry, we'll help you think of some story or another," Lindy said a smidge too loudly,

"Who's going to help who lie to their parents?" Seamus's husky voice came from behind Ginny and she turned in shock, only to end up nose to nose with him,

"Umm, nothing Seamus, not important," she wriggled around in her chair and tried to think of a way out of this,

"Come now Ginny, I reckon you can tell me safely," he raised one eyebrow in a fashion that was shockingly Slytherin, "I promise not to tell your brother, or Harry, or Dean, or anyone frankly,"

"All right then, but you owe me," Ginny put some rather undue emphasis and innuendo on her words which caused Seamus to blush a soft pink. Natalie was leaning around Jessica and Lindy in order to speak to Seamus and Ginny properly,

"It's nothing really, I've just been invited to stay with a friend in Spain this Easter, it's just that my mother is unlikely to approve," Natalie bit her lip then smiled, "Nothing to worry about,"

"In that case, I hope you can come up with something extremely convincing, my mam reads me like a book, I'd never get away with it no matter what I told her," he gave a heart-warming chuckle and turned back to listen to Dean's conversation with Parvati which was apparently very interesting and involved various topics including; Jell-O, chocolate pudding, whipped cream, Klondike bars, and death eaters. Ginny was forced to assume that the snacking habits of death eaters was a fascinating and debatable topic.

Ginny only half listened as Lindy, Natalie, and Jess began to think up believable stories for where Natalie would be over Easter Holiday. Another small piece of Ginny was watching Terry talk with his friends, and the last piece of her was thinking about how to get her favourite drug back. She had a plan of course and it was simple in nature but would be exceedingly hard to execute if the people around her didn't react the way they were supposed to. It would be a little like planning a conversation with someone in your head but when you actually talk to them they keep messing up their lines.

Ginny listed off the staged in her head again, making sure that there were no fault lines,

1 – Find someone with whom it would be dangerous (against social rules) to be with

2 – Seduce them

3 – Keep Terry

4 – Make them believe that they need to keep everything secret because it would ruin Ginny if anyone found out

5 – Don't get caught

6 – Don't fall in love

7 – Murder Draco Malfoy

It was that last part that she knew she was going to need the help of the twins but the rest she was perfectly capable of doing on her own.

The feast finished before Ron was full and long after Neville had starting falling asleep on his plate. Ginny stood up carefully – and by carefully one may assume that she stumbled and fell onto Seamus intentionally.

"Oh, I'm sorry Seamus, I guess I'm just tired," She smiled as he helped her back onto her feet,

"No worries Ginny," he gave another one of those smiles that simultaneously lit up a room and made Ginny melt, "At least you're not this clumsy on the Quidditch pitch, else I'd be betting against Gryffindor when you play Hufflepuff," he teased, keeping his hand on her arm for longer than necessary,

"Very funny," Ginny rolled her eyes at him, "I can hardly breath for laughing," perhaps it was harsh but everyone really should have known by now not to get in between Ginny and Quidditch, it just didn't end well.

"Alright, I'm sorry no more Quidditch jokes I wouldn't want to end up like Boot, beaten into the ground by your drama just because he insulted your chasing skills," He laughed and Ginny giggled,

"Watch your words Seamus, Boot's ended up in a lot of places because of his side comments, and not all of those places are bad," Seamus blushed again at her bold comment,

"Alright alright, I don't really want to know what you and Boot have been up to," Seamus looked around the hall sheepishly, it was almost empty now except for Ginny's dorm-mates who were still plotting, and Terry who was watching them with a dark expression.

"Why not? Would it make you jealous?" Ginny put on a teasing voice before stepping away from Seamus just enough to stop Terry worrying,

"You make every guy jealous just by existing and not being with them," Seamus smiled, "Terry I assume is one of them, but then I guess he has a right to be jealous right now doesn't he, I'm here standing with his girl," he looked nervously towards Terry again,

"I don't belong to anyone Seamus, people belong to me," she winked and headed off towards the Ravenclaw table where Terry was waiting,

"Should I be worried about Finnigan?" he asked as he pulled her into a hug,

"He's a friend, you can't go off killing all of my guy friends just for talking to me, because then you're going to have to kill Harry and I really don't think the wizarding community would thank you for that, him being the chosen one and all," she and Terry were both laughing by the end of this.

Having said a proper good night to Terry, Ginny headed towards the common room where she hoped to find a couch by the fire where she could curl up with Crookshanks and listen to Hermione banter about Elvish Welfare. As she approached the portrait of the Fat Lady Ginny remembered something crucial, she didn't know the password,

"No password, no entry," the Fat Lady said strictly, "You know the rules,"

"I know," Ginny huffed, everyone was probably inside already and there was just no way that she was going to lurk around the school trying to find McGonagall and get the new password.

"Just bad luck I suppose," a low voice came from behind Ginny and she twirled to see who the speaker was. Tucked into the corner and swathed in shadows stood Draco, "Lucky for you I do know what your password is,"

"Then just tell it to me and go away," Ginny huffed, not stepping any closer. Draco pulled himself out the shadows to get a better look at Ginny,

"Lacey told me what she did,"

"And I suppose you hexed her for disobeying you, she's scared half to death of you or what you might do," Ginny hissed, she was feeling much kinder towards Lacey these days,

"How dare you!" Draco stepped forward and grabbed Ginny by the arm, backing her up against the wall, "How dare you accuse me of hurting my wife," he spat in her face,

"What, like you're doing to me now?" Ginny spat back at him, Draco seemed to come back to himself very suddenly and he pulled away from Ginny,

"I'm sorry Red, I've just been so on edge lately that I snap at everyone, I didn't mean to, will you please forgive me?" he kept his distance as Ginny glared at him,

"First, you can go back to insulting me and calling me Weaselette instead of Red, Second, I will forgive you for this but not for anything else, third, you will tell me the password or I am going to hex you into next month," she reached into her robes and pulled out her wand, aiming carefully at his chest,

"Ginny please, I am begging you to forgive me,"

"Lacey told me that you wanted the world to see nothing except a happy couple, me forgiving you isn't going to help you with that,"

"Yeah well I changed my mind didn't I, Lacey is dead miserable because I'm miserable and that's not going to change unless I can have you back," his grey eyes resembled the calm before the storm to Ginny,

"Right now, I would do almost anything to make Lacey happy. But that doesn't include being your mistress," Ginny raised her wand to his face as he tried to step towards her again, "Give me the password and leave me alone,"

"Tell me why you won't forgive me Ginny and I'll do just that," Ginny was saved from spilling her guts and presumably more tears by someone opening the portrait hole from the inside and sticking their head out,

"There you are Ginny, Hermione said you weren't in your dorm and she was getting worried, I was just coming to look for you," Dean said as if nothing in the word was wrong, then he noticed Draco, "What are you doing here Malfoy?" Dean pulled himself out the hole in the wall and stood slightly in front of Ginny. Draco looked at a loss for words, he hadn't taken into account that somebody might come looking for Ginny.

"Just get back to your own dorm Malfoy," Dean said firmly, "Come on Ginny, Hermione's probably got everyone looking under chairs for you by now," Ginny didn't even look back at Draco as Dean helped her through the portrait hole – something that had also frustrated her in the past but that night any normal human contact was appreciated.

"Oh goodness, I was so worried about you!" all Ginny could see was a swarm of frizzy hair but she knew that she was being tightly hugged by Hermione,

"No need to worry Hermione, I was just a little slow getting back to the tower and then I remembered that I didn't know the password, lucky for me you sent Dean out to find me," Ginny looked over her friends shoulder and gave Dean a good glaring at to let him know that the fact that Malfoy had been there was not something that was going to be shared. She smiled as Dean nodded subtly; he was a good boy really.

Seamus was looking at her from his own corner of the room now that she had been realised from Hermione's death grip. He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively; asking in his own way of she was late because of Terry. Ginny grinned back but shook her head; Seamus gave her a suspicious look saying silently 'Who were you with then?' Ginny gave him a wicked smile which he responded to with a shrug of acceptance – Ginny could have been with anyone and it wasn't really his business.


	28. Howlers and Sneakers

Esme flew in with the rest of the post owls at breakfast that morning; cause quite a stir amongst Parvati and Lavender who were in absolute raptures. Landing daintily beside Ginny's plate she held out her silver leg and allowed Ginny to untie the letter attached. With a singing hoot Esme took her leave as Ginny opened the letter.

Ginny, Keep a sharp eye out this morning, revenge phase one is about to begin,

love you, Gred and Forge.

Ginny smiled evilly causing Jess to momentarily choke on her porridge. She looked around for clues as to what her devious brothers had planned. The first thing that caught her eye – and the eyes of every student in that hall – was a small group of post owls huddled around Draco, each one carrying a Howler. The owls dropped their post on the table and took off leaving the Prince of Slytherin to deal with the hate mail on his own; his face was, if possible, paler than usual and his lip was curled up in what Ginny understood to be a nervous sneer. The first howler began to smoke as Draco resigned himself to his fate. Bursting into flames it screamed in Fred's voice, "YOU STINKING LITTLE FERRET, HOW DARE YOU TREAT HER SO, IT'S LOW EVEN FOR YOU" as that one finished another began, "RAT FACED IS RIGHT, CAN'T KEEP A PROMISE CAN YOU," "WORSE THAN YOUR FATHER" "YOUR WIFE SHOULD HAVE HEXED YOU WHEN SHE FOUND OUT" "HOW'S THAT GOING ANYWAY, BEING A MARRIED SCHOOL BOY?" and so it went on, the staff unable to prevent a single word. Ginny didn't glare at Draco when he looked at her imploringly she merely smiled saucily to let him know that this was nothing less than he deserved.

Dean, Harry, Neville, and Ron were laughing so hard by the end of it that they could hardly stand up when the bell rang for class. On the other hand, Terry and Seamus looked worried and a little upset. Terry showed this by offering to escort Ginny to her first class, she denied his offer on the grounds that she didn't want to talk about Draco with him. Seamus showed how worried he was by hiding behind a suit of armour and pulling Ginny out of the crowd as she walked by,

"He kept looking at you, when the howlers were going off, is there something I should know?" his strong hands gripped her shoulders and his face was set, "Because if Malfoy did something to you, I'll blow him up I promise," Ginny relented and smiled as he teased himself,

"You don't need to blow him up, I think Fred and George about have that covered, as for Draco and myself, we are nothing to be worried about," she tried to sound nonchalant but slipped as she called Malfoy by his first name – something Gryffindors never did.

"There's nothing between you two but you call him Draco?" His hands slid from her shoulders to her waist and Ginny crossed her arms,

"Just trying to be more polite is all," she said with a bright smile,

"You ain't fooling me Ginny, he's gone and messed with your head and your heart and anyone who was paying attention this morning could see it,"

"Well, it's over now, as you may have noticed he's married and I'm quite happy," Ginny tried to pull out of his grasp but seventeen years of flying had made Seamus a formidable foe,

"Don't do that Ginny, you can lie to Boot and tell him everything's fine, but you can't do that with me," Ginny heard the late bell ring, Snape was going to be furious with her for being so late,

"Fine, Seamus you win, I'm screwed up and I'm angry and upset but most of all right now, I'm late for class so please if you must talk about this with me, let's talk about it later," She fought valiantly to keep the tears from her eyes,

"We will talk about this," Seamus said, his voice more husky than usual as he bent down and kissed her on the forehead, "Remember Ginny, you can't lie to me," smiling he picked up his bag and rushed off to join his charms class; leaving Ginny frozen behind the suit of armour for a half second before she came to herself and began sprinting towards the dungeons.

"Late , very late may I ask what was so important that you decided to skip fifteen minutes of my class, honestly girl I don't remember anyone every being so late not even Potter," his quiet voice gave Ginny goose-bumps, as evil as he was Snape had a sexy voice.

"I'm sorry Professor, no excuse sir," she took her seat, which she had learnt was the best thing to do in order to draw attention away from herself. Snape was looking at her with his dark eyes, it was a penetrating stare that made Ginny go cold all over again.

"Five points from Gryffindor for your lateness, at least unlike Potter you are aware that there are no excuses for being late," Ginny nodded at him and looked up at the board expecting to see the instructions for the potion she would be expected to make, she was not disappointed; there in Snape's cramped handwriting were the ingredients and method for mixing Armortentia. She had to be hallucinating; love potions were banned from the school grounds. Before putting her hand up to ask Snape the meaning of it she turned to Jessica who was hard at work beside her,

"Aren't love potions banned?" Ginny whispered as she lit the fire beneath her cauldron,

"Well yes and that's what you missed, we'll talk about why you were late later, he was explaining that we're making this because the method is something similar to what we'll find on our NEWTs next year, he's going to be very careful and make sure that none of us who are successful get to keep any," Jess turned back to scooping the jell out of her aloe plant, beside her Natalie was carefully slicing yarrow root.

Ginny nodded to herself when she saw how difficult the potion was, of course something like it would come up in their NEWTs. In a bit of a daze Ginny began to assemble the ingredients, which each movement she became more and more relaxed until she was hardly moving at all,

"Ginny wake up!" Jess jabbed her in the side with her elbow, "You mustn't breath so deeply, the smell remember," Ginny shook herself and began taking shallow breaths in; instantly her head cleared.

"Thanks Jess, just out of curiosity, what does it smell like to you in here, cause I'm getting like a spicy, salty, fresh air sort of thing," Jess laughed at her,

"I can smell lots of things Ginny, my grandmothers perfume, a new book all inky and papery smelling, and something a little spicy as well, I think Lindy might be getting something that smells like Blaise though, cause she keeps putting her head on her hand and going all dreamy looking," the girls giggled but were silenced by a glare from Snape who was currently bent over a Slytherin's cauldron looking thoroughly disappointed.

"By now you should begin seeing the characteristic spirals in the smoke, if you have not managed this I shall have to enquire as to how you managed to get into this class in the first place, have you all not passed your OWLs with an Outstanding?" the class nodded, of course they had passed that exam with Professor Slughorn teaching them but still.

Ginny looked around the room at everyone else's potions, most of them seemed to have achieved the smoky spirals, looking back to her own potion Ginny noticed that it too was emitting a misty smoke that was curling around in the air. She had actually managed to produce a reasonable quality Armortentia. Breathing deeply once just for the pleasure of it Ginny was sure she could pick out the most prominent scents hiding in her potion; Draco Malfoy, Terry Boot, and Seamus Finnigan, all mixed in with the smell of her mother's cooking and the air after a thundershower.

Putting a sample of her potion on Snape's desk Ginny returned to her cauldron and looked longingly at it,

"No , you cannot take some in order to solve your boy troubles," Snape's voice came from the back of the room,

"Sorry Professor, I was just thinking about something else, evanesco," she vanished her potion and hurried after her friends to their next class. In the hall she passed Terry who gave her a smile and Seamus who looked at her with a worried expression but then winked and lastly Draco who barely looked at her for a moment but his expression was so heartbroken that Ginny wanted to go and hug him and cuddle him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. But of course she didn't, however his expression haunted her right through Transfiguration, lunch, and double Herbology with the Ravenclaws which she had to spend under the watchful eye of Luna Lovegood who had evidently been told by Terry to keep a sharp eye on her.

Finally at the end of class Ginny was able to escape from the humid greenhouse, wave a quick hello to Hagrid and dash off to the common room in an attempt to hide. Hiding didn't work out so well. Seamus, who was apparently determined to make an honest woman out of her and force her to talk about that morning, was waiting for her in the common room.

"Let's walk shall we?" he suggested, "Before Dean shows up and demands to know what I'm doing with his ex,"

"If you insist," Ginny ran up to her room to drop her bag and grab a sweater before returning to the common room and the awaiting Seamus who looked charmingly nonchalant with his shirt un-tucked and his tie loosed just enough to allow him to undo the first two buttons on his shirt.

They hopped out of the portrait hole and were well on their way to the lake before Draco saw them.

"Careful Finnigan, you'll lose your soul before little Red lets you keep her," Draco was dazed and seemed for all the world like he was drunk but Ginny knew it simply wasn't possible; more likely he was just upset.

"No worries Malfoy she's already make it quite clear that she doesn't belong to people, people belong to her," Seamus gave her a shifty smile; making sure it was okay if he spoke to Malfoy on her behalf.

"Well ain't that the truth," Draco sighed and wandered off towards the castle.

"You still gonna try and tell me that it's over?" Seamus looked at her, his brown eyes honest, begging her to confide in him.

"It's over for me, he made his choice to marry Lacey, who by the way I'm on good terms with, and now he's miserable but it's not my problem," Ginny slipped her hand into Seamus's and began to swing their arms back and forth, "He was more charming that you could imagine once he stopped being an arse hole of course," she gave a bittersweet smile, looking up at Seamus she was surprised to find that his expression was rather torn.

"Yeah I just can't picture a charming Malfoy," Seamus chuckled then sighed, "I've got to tell you Ginny I…." He paused and looked away; pink in the cheeks again, "I might have lured you here under false pretences," he finished, this time looking her in the eyes,

"You didn't lure me out here Seamus," Ginny squeezed his hand in her own,

"And now I have to ask about Boot," he looked away again; Ginny could practically hear him mentally hitting himself for asking about Boot so quickly,

"Terry, Terry boy," Ginny hummed to herself for a little while, she was going to have to lie to Seamus from this point on, lie to Seamus and Terry and herself, "Terry is wonderful and caring but nothing is official, as you already know, I don't belong to anyone," Ginny smiled up at him and was disappointed to see him frowning,

"Will he murder me if I kissed you now?" he looked at her with a guilty expression,

"I don't see him around, do you?" Ginny pulled them both to a halt as she said this and using her grip on Seamus's hand she swung him around to look at her,

"I don't want to sneak around Ginny," he whispered, "Not if someone else has any sort of claim to you,"

"How is this sneaking, we're in the middle of the grounds for any and all to see," Ginny tried not to sound sharp, "Besides, if I'm seen too publically every guy within a mile radius gets all jealous and hormonal," Seamus laughed and shook his head a little,

"Is this what Dean felt like? Like he was the special one being picked out of a crowd, because if it is then it's no wonder he isn't over you," he lowered his forehead to Ginny's and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up onto her tippy toes. Ginny could feel Seamus smiling as he kissed her and Ginny giggled as he bit her lip gently,

"See, there was nothing sneaky about that," Ginny teased,

"But I'm not allowed to do that in front of Boot, or Ron or Harry, is that correct?" Ginny nodded coyly,

"Not yet anyway," she tucked her lip under her front teeth, "Maybe someday," Ginny's voice drifted off as she remembered that Draco had once wished 'someday' to come faster. But he didn't matter now; what mattered was that Ginny had found her drug and was well on her way back to being completely high on it. Seamus was so perfectly, impossibly the only person she wasn't supposed to be with; she had dated his best friend, he roomed with her brother and Harry, and Ginny was pretty sure that every girl who heard him speak swooned, it was cheating and unfair for Ginny to take him as well as Terry but she needed them both if she wanted to feel as intoxicated as Draco had once made her feel.

xxx

Ginny sat at the Gryffindor table for dinner, as per usual, what was different this time was that her ankle was wrapped around Seamus's. He was talking to Dean and she was talking to the Hydra so it didn't look suspicious, unless you were a certain Ravenclaw, sitting at just the right angle so that you could see the sandy haired boy's leg wrapped around the denim sheathed leg of the red headed girl beside him.

(A/N – who likes Terry? Who likes Seamus? Who's still pining over Draco? Honestly, I won't bite if you review!)


	29. The Cat in the Pixies

Valentine's Day was fast approaching and the female population at Hogwarts was abuzz while the male population seemed to shrink over time as they ducked into the shadows and began taking slower, emptier hallways to avoid the giggling girl packs. For Ginny this meant quite simply that her rendezvous with Seamus had to be carefully planned.

"I suppose Terry will be taking you to Madame Puddifoot's for Valentine's Day then?" he said one day as they were alone in a hallway between classes,

"Actually he hasn't said anything yet, I suppose he assumes we'll be going together," Ginny sighed and put her hand on Seamus's cheek as he frowned; this was so hard on him. Sneaking around wasn't in his nature.

"Well if he doesn't ask you, this is me asking you so if the day arrives and he isn't there you can tell him that someone else got there first," he gave her a quick kiss before dashing off to his next class. Ginny was lucky enough to have a spare class that period and she lazily walked towards the common room thinking gloomily about all the homework she had yet to complete – Hermione would have a fit if she knew.

She trudged up to the room she shared with the girls and dumped her school bag on her bed. Accidently she looked at the vase of flowers that still stood at her bedside. Originally she had wanted to burn them by Jess had insisted that the flowers were pretty and worth keeping so Ginny had simply made up her mind not to look at them.

Shoved under the vase was the note that Draco kept changing. Ginny assumed that it had changed many times since she had arrived back at school but she refused to look at it. Sitting on the edge of her bed Ginny pulled a feather off of the nearest flower; it was a black rose with streaks of red coming up from the center. Slowly she tore it into tiny velvety pieces and scattered them out of the window. She missed him, there was no denying it; she missed him terribly and wished beyond all else to be with him again. It was only her morals that prevented her; he was married now, married to a girl she had made peace with.

With a heavy sigh Ginny tugged the note out from beneath the flowers; it was torture to even look at it and think of all the memories that belonged to it but at that moment Ginny was in a self-hating mood. The parchment felt heavy in her hand and she flipped it open. There lay his familiar handwriting, swirly and spiky at the same time.

I miss you Red. Always I shall miss you. I could kill Boot and Finnigan out of jealously the only thing that stops me is knowing that you care for them.

A tear landed on the parchment and smudged the ink. Quickly Ginny wiped the others from her cheeks and shoved the note away. It was cruel, all too cruel. He knew that she would never come back to him and yet he begged and pleaded. He took all the criticism that Fred and George that thrown his way, he took it because he knew that he deserved it and yet he wanted her back. Well Ginny wasn't one to fold under pressure; in fact, she was going to remind him exactly why she couldn't go back to him.

Pulling out a fresh piece of parchment Ginny began to write a quick letter. When she had finished she took a walk to the Owlery and tied the letter quickly to Esme's leg and whispered in her ear the name of the one person who could fix everything.

xxx

That evening as Ginny walked down the marble staircase she found Terry waiting for her outside the doors to the Great Hall. She smiled at him before running the rest of the way down the stairs and jumping into his arms. He spun her around quickly before setting her back on the ground. Over his shoulder Ginny could just make out Seamus's frowning face.

"Ginny, I probably should have said something earlier, I guess I just assumed and took it for granted but, will you Ginny Weasley go to Hogsmeade with me this Valentines?" he took her hands and looked at her seriously; it was an act, but an adorable one.

"Well Terry Boot, as I am not otherwise engaged I can't imagine a reason why I shouldn't be able to do just that," she said in her best imitation of Ernie's pompous tone.

"Thank you very much Miss. Weasley, shall we meet in the entrance hall on the day of then?" he turned her towards the Great Hall and took her arms,

"I suppose that I could do such a thing," Ginny's voice broke in the middle as she started giggling,

"I shall see you then, and may I say that I look forward to it with every inch of my being," he gave a small, mocking bow and headed off to his own table. Ginny tipped back her head and laughed aloud before joining the girls for dinner.

She had managed to serve herself before Lindy started talking,

"You two seem as happy as ever," she commented blandly,

"Yes, yes we are," Ginny replied in the same bland tone Lindy was using,

"Is there a secret to getting along perfectly?" there was a smidge more curiosity in her voice this time that made Ginny wonder about how life in paradise was going,

"Have you and Blaise had a disagreement?" she tried to be nonchalant but her question attracted the attention of the nearby Natalie and Jess; who had been discussing their own plans for Valentines.

"I wouldn't call it a disagreement, more of an agreement that something is wrong," Lindy tipped her head and looked over towards the Slytherin table where Blaise was sitting with his head on his hand looking very drab.

"You're bored aren't you" it wasn't a question.

"Dreadfully so, how on earth do you and Terry keep each other on your toes?" Lindy looked at her with wide eyes, as if hoping to glean information from Ginny's skin. Ginny lost focus for a moment, at Lindy's last question she had felt Seamus shift beside her and she knew that he was now listening intently to her conversation.

"Terry never fails to surprise me, he knows what I like and works things out along those lines, he is also completely honest with me which helps because then if something is wrong we can just talk about it," she felt very hypocritical saying this to Lindy, seeing as even though Terry was honest with her, she was anything but honest with Terry.

"Is that the trick then Ginny, honesty?" Seamus's voice was harsher and colder than usual. She turned to look at him with fire in her eyes,

"Honest to goodness honesty," she said with a tight smile, daring him to argue,

"So sneaking around with someone just because you're scared of what others might say is a bad idea, because being honest about that fact that you are in a relationship is the best thing to do?" his expression matched her, Lindy was looking at Jess and Natalie with confusion.

"I should say so Seamus, why? Have you been sneaking around with someone?" her glare would have turned a lesser man to stone but Seamus was fed up with being put second just because Ginny had been with Terry first. He still felt chosen and happy to be with her, none of that had changed, it was just that now he wished that everyone else knew so that he could do something about it, stand up for her when other guys flirted.

"I should say so," he hissed before looking directly across the hall and into Terry's eyes before turning back to Ginny, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close,

"Seamus don't do this," she whispered, from the corner of her eye Ginny could see Terry who was now standing as well as Ron and Harry who looked beyond disgusted.

"You don't get it do you Ginny," Seamus shook his head sadly before leaning in and kissing her soundly.

"OI!" the call came from four different people all at once. Terry was striding across the hall with a frozen expression of anger while Ron had food half way to his mouth; Harry was looking at Seamus with wide eyes. The last sound of protest had come from the Slytherin table where Draco was currently standing; fists held tightly at his sides. At the staff table, the teachers continued with their regular conversations, for in truth the shouts had not made as great a disturbance as Ginny had imagined.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing Seamus?" that was Ron,

"I'd like to ask the same question," Terry's quiet voice was like ice and it made Ginny's entire body freeze over with fear.

"Me?" Seamus looked around innocently, "I'm giving my girl a kiss, is that a crime?" he continued eating casually,

"It is if she's not your girl," Terry's voice was getting steadily louder. Ginny took the opportunity to look over at Draco, she felt relieved up seeing that he was sitting again and merely looking as grumpy and depressed and Blaise.

Terry was looking between Seamus and Ginny with increasing frustration,

"Ginny, what's going on?" Harry finally butted in when it became apparent that Terry, Ron, and Seamus would be happy to glare at each other for all eternity.

"Well Harry, it appears that Terry is angry because Seamus kissed me right after I agreed to spend Valentines with Terry, Ron looks shocked that his sister actually gets kissed by human beings, and I'm left sitting here watching it all play out," she smiled at Harry and watched him roll his eyes; Jessica was good for him, or at least she had taken his romantic focus away from Ginny herself. Terry unfroze as Ginny spoke and fixed his gaze on her,

"Ginny why does he think you're his girl? And why didn't you slap him?" he sounded so sad that Ginny almost got up and hugged him,

"Yes Ginny, do tell?" Seamus looked at her with a cheeky grin,

"Shut up Finnigan," Terry hissed, "Ginny?"

"Frankly I was in shock that I was being kissed at the dinner table, so that's why I didn't slap him, and Seamus must be delusional is he imagines that I belong to anyone," she put enough emphasis on the last words to make Seamus remember what she kept telling him about not belonging to people.

"You're a right little bitch sometimes you know that Ginny," Seamus spat, shoving back his chair he made to storm out of the hall, just before leaving he turned back and shouted at Terry, "You might want to ask her for the truth one of these days Boot," then he turned on his heel and fled. Terry turned his attention back to Ginny,

"What does he mean by that?" he wasn't sad anymore, he was angry; at her.

"I'm going to go ask him that," Ginny stood up quickly and made to follow Seamus, "You just stay put and finish dinner, I'll see you later," she bit her lip before dashing out of the hall. Everything was falling apart, I had been so perfect for a few short weeks and then Seamus had to go and get all jealous. The prat.

"Seamus, Oi Seamus," he was halfway up the staircase and didn't look back as she called him, "Oh for pities sake," Ginny huffed before sprinting up the stairs and grabbing his arms. He tried to tug out of her grasp but nothing was stronger than a Weasley woman scored.

"What on earth did you mean by that?" she said under her breath. Seamus made one last attempt to pull away before turning and looking at her.

"I'm sick of it Ginny, sick of not being able to stand up for you because someone else might get mad, why should he get special treatment just because you picked him earlier, hmm?" his accent got heavier as he got angrier and more fed up,

"Listen to me Seamus, I need you, I need you more than you know, I was falling apart and you put me all back together don't you dare leave me now," she was in torment, how much could she tell him before he killed her.

"Oh yeah? And why couldn't Terry do that for you? Or better yet, what was Terry doing that made you want to stay with him?" Her silence destroyed him, "Were neither of us man enough for you after the great Draco Malfoy, is that it, did you need both of us to feel the way he made you feel?" he didn't even believe was he was saying, he just wanted to hurt her.

"At least he didn't fly off the handle when I asked him to keep quiet about it," Ginny spat back, "He knew that doing something stupid like that would cost him, and yes by the way, he made me feel wanted and mysterious and dangerous and taken care of, Terry makes me feel wanted and cared for but he can't give me mystery because he isn't that kind of guy and frankly I'm kind of addicted to it at this point that why I need you because you give me the feeling that I need," tears were flowing freely down her cheeks now,

"And what, I couldn't make you feel wanted and cared for?" Seamus wasn't angry anymore; he was tired and confused,

"Of course you could Seamus, it's just that," she couldn't finish.

"It's just that what?" it wasn't Seamus who had spoken. At the bottom of the stairs stood a livid looking Terry accompanied by a depleted Draco.

(A/N – Reviews are good for the writer's soul…..)


	30. It's Just that

"And what, I couldn't make you feel wanted and cared for?" Seamus wasn't angry anymore; he was tired and confused,

"Of course you could Seamus, it's just that," she couldn't finish.

"It's just that what?" it wasn't Seamus who had spoken. At the bottom of the stairs stood a livid looking Terry accompanied by a depleted Draco.

"Yes, this is really quite fascinating Ginny, please continue," Draco's smile didn't reach his eyes,

"My life stopped being your business when you got married Malfoy, you gave me up and have no reason to be angry with me, so if you'll be a gentleman and get lost right about now, that would be greatly appreciated," survival mode had kicked in and Ginny's newly frozen over heart almost disappeared in her efforts to prevent herself from crying.

"Still feisty weaselette," he winked but as Ginny raised her wand and pointed it at his chest he quickly spun on his heel and vanished into the depths of the castle.

"Answer me Ginny," Terry's eyes flashed as he walked up the stairs towards her and Seamus. He gave the other boy a disgusted look then turned back to the red head, "It's just that what, Ginny?"

"It's just that I didn't know how to say goodbye, and I didn't want to leave you and in my own twisted way I still love you," Ginny set her jaw and looked Terry in the eye. It was the most difficult thing she'd ever done; watching the agony in him grow and knowing she was standing their causing it.

"Is that right? And what about him, do you love him? Because if you do it seems you don't need me, I can't imagine why you even agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me," turned his back to her, hands pulling at his hair. Ginny looked at Seamus guiltily, he stared back; every ounce of his expression telling her that she deserved this.

"Seamus put me back together when you couldn't because you were mourning over how I missed Draco more than I missed you, so yes Terry, I love him, but I agreed to go to Hogsmeade with you because I made you a promise, I promised that I would come back to you, that I would choose you,"

"And sneaking around with him didn't count as breaking that promise?" he grabbed her wrist and squeezed until she was sure there would be bruising.

"Let go of her," Ginny jumped as Seamus spoke. Terry glared at him but released her,

"Just answer the questions Ginny and let me leave you with a clear head," hands on his hips and breathe coming heavier than normal; Terry couldn't seem to decide where to look. His sense of betrayal ran deep; his fun loving heart was spun out with anger and hurt making every muscle in his body tense and his brain feel like it was being wrung out like a sponge. Ginny looked away from him,

"Damn it Ginny!"

"Just leave then why don't you? it's obvious you don't want her anymore so just leave,"

"Shut up Finnigan this doesn't concern you,"

"Oh really? Cause I was under the impression that I caused this," Seamus stepped in front of Ginny and looked Terry in the eye, "She was hurt and upset and she came to me as an friend, perhaps I was a little too willing to help her, but now you're making it worse by tormenting her, she knows she messed up, just leave it alone now why don't you" Ginny couldn't help but hear a tiny voice in her head saying 'them's fightin' words'. She looked over Seamus's shoulder to see what she expected to be a defeated Terry; instead she saw one with a spark still in his eye.

"That's not true is it Ginny, you didn't go to him as a friend, you sought him out because you knew that he was exactly the right person to make you feel all dangerous again," Terry wasn't in Ravenclaw by chance. Seamus twitched,

"It makes no difference, of the two of us, I'm the only one she hasn't lied to, and I'm the one who isn't pissed at her now," It did make a difference to him; but it was a small one, now he knew that Ginny had never had pure motives or intentions; her choices were more understandable.

"Shut up, the both of you,"

"I'm not finished yet," Terry hissed, "You have explaining to do Ginny,"

"Yeah well I'm going to have to do that later, because people are coming out of the Great Hall now and they're going to be staring very soon, so let's just leave this alone for now shall we," she made to turn and walk further up the stairs before Ron saw her.

"You're not getting away that easily Ginny," Terry grabber her arm and before Seamus could stop him he turned to face what was now the majority of the school standing around the base of the staircase,

"Students of Hogwarts, perhaps you heard that Ginny Weasley was hard to get, a prize among women," there was a murmur of assent from a few of the students, "Such a prize that the great Draco Malfoy even went after her,"

"Terry no, no Terry you wouldn't," Ginny whispered frantically,

"Oh yes I would Ginny," he said quietly to her, "I'll tell them all everything, Ronald will know, all the people you were hiding this from will know and be disgusted with you," the crowd was looking up at Terry expectantly as he and Ginny whispered their argument; Seamus stood to one side looking rather bored.

"What must I do Terry, tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it, just don't tell them," the tears she had hidden for so long came rushing to the surface,

"What Terry is trying to say is," both Ginny and Terry looked at Seamus in shock as he spoke up from his relaxed place on the sidelines, "He's a little love sick right now and you should all scarper before Filch shows," people laughed and starting moving on to their various common rooms.

"You just managed to make a fool out of me Finnigan, good work," he added the last on with reluctance and looked at Ginny once more, "I could wreak havoc in your life Ginny, but I won't because I seems I'll have Finnigan on my case for a while, you've been a real bitch you know that? But it doesn't get rid of the times when you didn't lie and cheat, if you ever decide to act like a normal girl again, and if I'm still around then maybe we can make something work but until then, goodbye," Ginny looked at him sadly, less than an hour ago they had been perfectly happy and now they were saying goodbye. She gave a small sort of head bob that could have been mistaken for a nod. Terry looked at her sadly before dashing up the staircase and rushing off to his common room where he was sure to be humiliated for days by all except Luna Lovegood.

"You're sure you don't want to kill me Seamus? After all, Terry was right about everything, I've been a terrible person, to both of you," to her surprise when she actually looked at Seamus he was grinning at her with open arms,

"You never lied to me Ginny, I've no right to be ticked off at you anymore, yeah you messed up with Terry, and nobody's going to deny that, but as much as Terry hurt you tonight I hurt you double by causing it all and yelling at you to begin with, so if you still want me," he indicated his spread eagle arms. Ginny bit her lip and grinned through her tears before stepping into his strong arms and letting him make her feel better just be being there.


	31. The Day Before

The weekend of February the fourteenth approached with a slowness that was causing Ginny to lose her mind. Around every corner and behind every tapestry she found new people who were happy to tease her and shout out about how much of a skank she was for leading on so many guys at once. Seamus wasn't fairing any better, even Snape had managed to slip in a side comment about him being 'the other man'. In all fairness he was dealing with it quite well for never having been in the spotlight before; he put more effort into his schoolwork and ignoring Ron, and his joy at not having to sneak around anymore almost made up for every nasty word people could come up with.

"Oi Seamus, do you suppose now that you're Ginny's main man she's got another one going on the side?"

"Hey Finnigan, you gonna go all crazy like Boot when she dumps you?"

"Shut it Malcolm or I'll hex you," Ginny, having allowed Seamus to walk her to her last class before the weekend was now hearing first hand just how bad Seamus had it.

"Oooo your girlfriend's getting mad at us Finnigan," Malcolm raised his eyebrows at Ginny and continued one sentence too far, "Maybe she'll go for me next," Ginny's wand was pointed firmly towards his face and her lips were so pursed she had an almost McGonagall like look to her.

"Miss. Weasley if you would please lower your wand before you cause any damage to Mr. Malcolm's face, accidental or otherwise, and please come with me," McGonagall in the flesh stood behind Ginny as she turned around,

"Have I done something Professor?" she clenched Seamus's hand a little tighter within her own,

"I assume you mean aside from threaten Mr. Malcolm? No Miss. Weasley, it's just that your guest has arrived and we would like you to give her the tour before she settles in for the weekend, off to class with the rest of you, Professor Flitwick is waiting," McGonagall looked expectantly at Ginny as the girl put away her wand and gave Seamus a quick wink before trotting off after the professor.

"It gave us quite a surprise you know, when she told us that she was your guest and not his, naturally we expected him to invite her for the Valentine weekend given the situation, but she perked right up and said you'd written a few weeks ago and asked her to come," Ginny followed McGonagall in a very un-ginny like silence as they trotted through the castle towards the entrance hall where a travel worn looking girl with dark eyes sat on her trunk.

"Oh Ginny, good, I was told that you had one class left but that you might be able to miss it to help me settle in," Lacey's chocolaty voice was smothered with exhaustion as she stood up and gave Ginny a very impromptu hug and whispered in her ear, "Thank you,"

"I'm just glad you could make it," Ginny gave Lacey her best smile as she held the other girl at arm's length, "Come on now dear, let's get you into something warmer and set you up in my common room, Lindy will be so happy to see you," Lacey gave a look that said, 'seriously, Lindy hates my guts and you know it'.

"Lovely girls, I trust you'll take care of Mrs. Malfoy and show her all the benefits of Hogwarts," Ginny nodded to McGonagall before taking Lacey by the arm and putting a locomotor charm on her trunk.

As soon as the professor was out of hearing range Lacey said clearly and without shame,

"You're using me aren't you Ginny, to remind him of his choices?" she looked into Ginny's brown eye with her own black one; rather like milk and dark chocolate.

"And without shame," Ginny added, "Gryffindor's stay in the tower, the Slytherin common room is in the dungeons sort of under the lake from what Harry's told me but I wouldn't go down there if I were you, nasty people the lot of them, aside from Blaise, he's alright," the trunk bumped to a halt as Ginny waited for a staircase to move to a more preferable location.

"How is he?" all pretences set aside Lacey looked imploringly at Ginny, "He's miserable isn't he? I just know it," she trailed off as they hurried up the staircase before it decided to move again,

"I think it was a bit of a shock for him, but you mustn't blame yourself dear, as I keep telling you, he's sure to cheer up when he sees you at dinner tonight and then you have the weekend to spend together in Hogsmeade," Ginny stopped for a moment and looked up at the Fat Lady, "Cupid's arrow," she said clearly

"quite right m'dear," the Fat Lady murmured as she went back into a doze. The girls walked past the curious eyes of the Gryffindors on a free period – which happily did not contain Ron, Harry, Seamus, or Hermione – and up the staircase into Ginny's dorm.

"Home sweet home, we'll transfigure one of Natalie's pillows into a bed for you then," Ginny smiled at Lacey as best she could as she picked up one of Natalie's many pillows, positioned it against the wall, and turned it into a bed.

"I don't know how to thank you Ginny, I know that you probably don't have pure motive, but nor do I believe that you wish to hex me into oblivion so I must be grateful," Lacey's voice hitched and Ginny knew that she was close to tears, so miserable was she with her life at the moment.

"Dinner should be in about a half hour, you can rest until then if you want," sometimes allowing people to pretend to sleep while they're really crying their eyes out is the best solution. Lacey nodded her ascent and began to unclip her silky Beauxbatons uniform and crawl into her bed.

Ginny walked quietly down the stairs to join her house mates in silence as she wondered what in Merlin's name she had done by writing to Lacey. Lindy would, at the very least, think her insane, and at the worst she would murder Lacey.

xxx

As they walked down to dinner Lacey was clinging to Ginny's arm and whispering in her ear,

"I shouldn't have come, he's going to be so angry with me," so out of character was she that Ginny began to wonder if someone was impersonating her.

"Lacey," Ginny stopped half way down the staircase, "Stop it, pull yourself together, you are my guest and if he's happy to see you, good for him, if not it hardly matters because I was the one who invited you," Lacey shook her brilliant head and cleared her mind,

"You're right of course you're right,"

"And you look lovely by the way," Underneath her Beauxbatons uniform Ginny had been shocked to discover that Lacey was wearing a casual pair of jeans with a relaxed fit blouse that hardly had any frills at all. She now wore her blue cloak over the outfit as a sort of cape.

As they entered the hall, at least half of the black cloaked population turned to stare at the brightly coloured Lacey; she strongly resembled a sparrow sitting amongst a group of crows. A few heads stayed turned after the initial shock had worn off; Draco's and Lindy's for the most part.

"Lacey Jasmine Carter you insolent little wench, showing up here after all you've done," Lindy had stood up as Ginny approached with Lacey, "How dare you show your face here," Lindy wasn't spitting in anger as others would have done, her tone was perfectly polite and Lacey stayed admirably composed

"It's Lacey Jasmine Malfoy now actually," Lacey held up her ring finger and smiled, her words caused many heads to turn back to her and stare.

"And what in merlin's name are you doing here?" Draco's voice traveled across the hall, causing those who weren't yet staring to look up from their dinner. Still composed Lacey asked Ginny to sit down and eat while she walked over the Draco,

"Ginny thought it would be nice to invite me, may I assume from your outburst that you do not wish me to be among your friends?" even Lindy had to admit that she was clever, trapping him like that.

"Of course not Lacey, I was surprised is all," he took her hand and kissed it, causing girls to swoon and guys to blanch and choke on their food.

"Very formal, ought it to be calling you Sir?" for the first time there was a speck of humour in Lacey's expression, a trace of fun.

"Ridiculous," Draco said before doing something that many people thought him incapable of; he hugged his wife in good graces and kissed her on the top of the head. It was sweet and Ginny felt like puking. Seamus walked in late and sat beside her,

"What's all the fuss about?" he asked while piling his plate.

"Malfoy's wife is here," Ginny said casually as she put butter on her dinner roll.

"Oh, shouldn't she be at her own school?"

"Well seeing as I invited her for the weekend I suppose not," continuing with her casual voice Ginny watched as Seamus froze in a terribly Ron like pose – food halfway to his mouth. She took a bite of her roll and proceeded to chew and swallow while her boyfriend stared at her. He came to his senses as Lacey sat down on Ginny's other side; having told Draco that as Ginny's guest she ought to eat with her.

"You're torturing yourself Ginny," he protested, putting his fork down he turned to get a proper look at her, "Seriously, you are barking mad, inviting her, no offense," he added as Lacey looked at him with raised brows, "This is madness, why are you hurting yourself Ginny, seeing him with her is only going to make it worse," he stopped and took a bite – graciously allowing Ginny time to speak.

"No, I'm reminding myself and him that it is over, totally and completely over, telling us both to move on and at the same time reminding him that there is a lovely woman who loves him and also conveniently happens to be his wife," she said with faux perkiness and continued to eat. Seamus shook his head but didn't argue.

(A/N – I know I keep making you think it's going to be Valentine's day really soon, and I promise that it will be, it's just that I start the chapter thinking, 'okay, this time I'll get there' then I think of a whole bunch of stuff I need to add and if I did that the chapter would be about a thousand pages long, so forgive me just this once more, I promise that next chapter will be Valentine's day. Also, I would greatly appreciate it if yall would visit me at , same author name and read my original story (only one chapter so far, but its reasonably long), I'm using the plot of this one to help develop it so it should be right up your alley and I would love reviews on that. You've all been such a wonderful crowd and I'm going to be sad when this is over – not that this is going to end anytime soon – but still. Love yall!)


	32. Happy Valentine's Day

(A/N – as promised my dear ones, enjoy)

Valentine's Day dawned with a blood red sun. The girl's room was sheathed with a brilliant ruby glow as they slowly opened their eyes and yawned. Ginny looked across the room to where Lindy was staring angrily at Lacey's sleeping form. Lindy had stopped yelling enough last night to allow them sleep but her anger remained.

"Just leave it be Lindy, she's not hurting anyone anymore," Ginny gave another wide mouthed yawn as she sat up. With great surprise she noted that Draco's flowers were no longer done up in shades of black; rather they had blossomed into a full bouquet of deep pink roses. The note now read in curly green writing,

For Lacey, my dear wife and also for Ginny who had the brilliance to invite her. Lacey my dear, I have hopes that you will spend the day with me in Hogsmeade if that is not too formal for you.

The joking tone was clear and it made Ginny smile despite herself.

"What are you grinning at Ginny?" Lacey's creamy voice was twice as pleasant when deepened with the huskiness of morning, "And the flowers, my my, they have changed, perhaps your suitor has had a change of heart," she teased unknowingly. Ginny handed her the note,

"He's yours now anyway," getting out of bed Ginny didn't dare look back at Lacey's expression and instead followed Lindy into the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean her hair with a charm. When she re-entered the room Jessica was surfacing from her endless sleep and Natalie was peering out the window as if hoping that it would snow again and that the snow would bring with it her dear Adam Francisco. From her trunk Ginny managed to find an outfit that did not remind her of Draco and she dressed in a hurry; not wanting to watch Lacey's expression as she peered at the roses and murmured about what sort of charm it was 'some variation of a protean charm obvious but very clever'.

"He's not coming Natalie, just spend the day like the rest of the single girls," Jessica huffed as she searched for her only item of green clothing to wear in Harry's honour.

"But I'm not one, and I can't stand the thought of listening to them and trying to sympathize all day long," she sighed dramatically, "Perhaps I shall pretend to be Jessica and sleep all day like she did last year," Natalie received a pillow in the face for her cheek just as Lindy emerged from the bathroom looking neat and respectful and nothing like herself.

"What happened to you Lindy?"

"Yeah, you look like a girl who could be safely brought home to mummy,"

"Blaise won't like it you know," Lacey chimed in as she looked up from the roses, "He was worried all through the engagement that you were going to be a boring Gryffindor and now you look more prudish than that Granger girl," everyone laughed as Lacey nocked Hermione.

"Fine," Lindy huffed and went back into the bathroom, presumably to change her look to something a little more fun. Jessica giggled and looked at Lacey strangely,

"I always figured you'd be a right bitch you know that," she paused and absorbed Lacey's horrified expression at being addressed so rashly, "But you're all right," she finished as she pulled on her favourite jeans and the tidy green blouse.

"Is it too formal do you think?" Jessica turned circles in front of the mirror to inspect herself from every angle, "I know it's jeans but," she looked down at the blouse and shook her head before undoing the top buttons and allowing a small amount of her chest to show, "yes, that's much better," she smiled before turning to see Natalie staring at her with wide eyes,

"Seriously Jess? You're using the power of your boobs to make him like you more? That's low my friend, clever but low," she shook her head before turning back to the window and dreaming of Adam and visiting him in Spain.

"Is this any better then?" Lindy re-emerged from the bathroom. Ginny gasped and blushed but Lacey just smiled.

"Yes, much better," she said before opening her own trunk and pulling out a pair of high heels. Handing them over to Lindy she said demandingly, "These are a peace offering, take them," Lindy rolled her eyes but took the strappy black leather shoes that matched her outfit perfectly. She was now wearing a leather skirt so short she couldn't possible bend over without mooning somebody, and a low cut burgundy top with lace straps, covered with a leather jacket. It was all topped off with her signature shade of red lipstick and – to everyone's surprise – a ponytail.

"Knock 'em dead," Ginny muttered, feeling insanely underdressed in her boots, jeans, and fitting cashmere sweater.

"Ginny you look marvellous," Lacey smiled, "Somehow I get the feeling that Seamus would prefer that people didn't stare too much anyhow," she was right of course, Seamus was getting jealous enough with Ginny flaunting her stuff like Lindy was about to.

The girls covered up their outfits with black robes – blue in Lacey's case – and went down to have a quick breakfast before meeting their men in the entrance hall.

"Don't worry about me ladies, I'm going to write a letter to Adam then get some homework done, if you're lucky I might finish all your work as well," Natalie smiled bravely before going back upstairs to write that letter.

"Okay Lacey, prove to him that he did the right thing," Ginny gave her new found friend a bit of a shove towards the dapper looking Draco who greeted his wife with grace before leading her outside and towards Hogsmeade. Lacey looked over her shoulder at the last minute and bit her lip; Ginny winked and waved at her.

"Having fun?" turning around as Seamus touched her waist Ginny smiled. He didn't look as debonair as Draco but there was something sexy about how relaxed he was and the mischievous look in his eyes. Behind him Harry was complimenting Jessica on her appearance and smiling much more than was strictly necessary – but hey, they were a normal happy couple.

"Loads of fun," Ginny smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Seamus. He smiled as she kissed him and pulled her close.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered in her ear, making her squirm,

"And to you," Ginny took a step back, "So, where are we going today?" she bounced on the balls of her feet as Seamus made to lead her away, "Oh wait, we can't leave Lindy all on her own, where's Blaise?" she piped up, realizing that Lindy was standing in the shadows.

"She's with Blaise, like Blaise Zabini? Since when?" Seamus raised his eyebrows,

"Long story," Ginny muttered before hurrying over to Lindy, dragging Seamus along by his hand.

"He said he was coming," Lindy tried to shrug it off but she was obviously upset,

"I'm sure he is, perhaps he just can't decide what to wear, or something simple like that, here let's ask Malcolm," Ginny snagged Malcolm by the arm as he tried to sneak past with a whiney looking Slytherin girl, "You seen Zabini today?" Ginny asked quite politely,

"Yeah, he said he was planning something big for his girl, putting charms on stuff you know like how he did those golden owls for some lovesick fool ages ago," Malcolm tugged himself out of Ginny's grip and stalked off.

"See Lindy, he's not ignoring you or leaving you, he's trying to make you happy," Ginny smiled and Lindy returned it.

"Serious, how did Zabini end up with her?" Seamus looked from girl to girl with raised brows, "She's like all Gryffindor and nice and he's so…Slytherin," he finished as if being in Slytherin was the worst possible thing to be said about a person.

"We've been together before we were sorted," Lindy muttered, causing Seamus to nod as if he understood, "Oh look there he is, goodness, Blaise, OI you're late!" Lindy dashed over to her man and promptly started telling him that a lady could be late but a man was never allowed to be. He just grinned at her in his charming fashion,

"Come on Ginny, he's here now, we can go," Seamus tried to tug her away but Ginny hushed him,

"I want to see what he does," she whispered and looked onwards to where Blaise was holding an amazingly squirmy Lindy at arm's length and trying desperately to calm her; finally he seemed to whisper something under his breath that caused Lindy to freeze – not like one would do when under the influence of magic, but rather from shock. He smiled at her and clapped his hands. The ceiling instantly began raining golden flower petals and vines of the strange, exotic flower began to grow up the castle walls. Lindy gasped and bit her lip, looking shyly up at Blaise. He brushed a few petals out of her hair and kissed her gently,

"Happy now my love?" he said for all the onlookers to hear,

"You're a show off Blaise Zabini," she huffed but was obviously pleased, "I sort of have something for you as well," she winked at him before taking off her heavy black robe and revealing her leathery outfit. Blaise whistled,

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," he laughed as Lindy smacked him playfully.

"Now we can go," Ginny giggled to Seamus as he rolled his eyes, apparently agreeing with Lindy that Blaise was a show off.

"He makes the rest of us look bad," he said grumpily as Ginny continued smiling while they walked down the front path towards the castle gates.

"Nobody can make you look bad Seamus, you look dashing today and the fact that your still with me, taking into account how screwed up I am, makes you far more impressive than Blaise's show of magic," she gave him a squeeze with the arm that was around his waist,

"So I'm insane?" he laughed,

"Completely," Ginny giggled.

xxx

Lacey walked arm in arm with Draco down the front path and halfway to Hogsmeade in complete silence. She started twitching after the first few minutes and began biting her cheeks after almost half an hour had passed in utter chilly silence.

"Are you very angry with me?" she finally plucked up the courage to ask; nervously she looked sideways at his pale face. She notices his lip twitch downwards into a slight frown,

"No," he said simply and sank back into silence.

"With Ginny?" Lacey looked away this time; not wanting to see his reaction to her friendliness with his ex.

"I am not angry with either of you, simply upset that she would wish to hurt me so even though she understands the situation, I am pleased that you are here to spend today with," his tone was cold and bland, no emotion. It was like talking to a robot.

"At least try and sound like you haven't practiced saying that," Lacey huffed and pulled away from him, "I know that you love her and you with that I would just disappear so that you could be with her again, because you hate me, you showed that when you gave me this," Lacey pulled up the corner of her shirt to show him a fading bruise upon her abdomen.

"Don't do that Lacey, don't say those things," there was still a flatness to his voice,

"Why not, It's the truth Draco, you hit me, maybe it was just once but you still did it, you hit me because I told her the truth and you were angry with me, just admit it," Lacey was yelling now, and a few scattered people on the path had turned blandly to look at the pretty Mrs. Malfoy yelling at her husband. Noticing this Draco pulling out his wand and put on a spell on the air around them so that Lacey's outbursts couldn't be understood by the onlookers.

"Fine, I love her and I'm angry with you for destroying my life, is that what you wanted to hear?" Finally an ounce of what he was really feeling showed through,

"Yes, thank you," Lacey gave him a smile before taking his arm again and forcing him back into a brisk walk, "Now I can go back to pretending to be happy in peace because at least you're not lying to me," she felt Draco's fist tighten then relax; he was angry with her, but not enough to make a scene.

"We can make this work Lacey, why don't we spend today thinking of ways that we can make this work and let us both be happy?" Draco sounded like he genuinely wanted her to be happy and Lacey couldn't help but feeling the slightest bit hopeful,

"Alright," she leaned over a kissed him on the cheek, he responded by pulling her closer and kissing her full on the mouth,

"We will both be happy," he promised.

xxx

Lindy was pleased with the way that Blaise had reacted to her outfit. She knew he loved her; she was just going to have a job keeping everything interesting.

"Are we going to be happy Blaise? In life I mean," she asked as she snuggled up against him as they waited for their butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks.

"I think we will be very happy Lindy," he said plainly, "We just need to get to know each other better, for instance, I enjoy putting together clever little charms, I did that one for Draco with the golden owls for Ginny, but I think you know that," he thanked Rosmerta and looked back at Lindy, "Do you think we'll be happy?"

"I hope so, and if we're going to play the 'get to know each other' game, I'd like you to know that I enjoy wearing unattractive comfy clothing just as much as I enjoy dressing up, and I was going to wear something plain today before Lacey got angry with me," Lindy blushed as she remembered the look on Ginny's face when she'd revealed the leather outfit.

"Oh, well in that case I'm glad that Lacey interfered, because you look amazing, but you don't have to dress up for me, it's not the clothing that makes you fun," Lindy almost chocked on her butterbeer,

"What is it that makes me fun then?" she asked indignantly, "I may be gorgeous Blaise but I'm dead boring," he shook his head at her and rolled his eyes,

"You have no idea what sort of affect you have on people do you? They all look at you like you're a goddess and you ignore it all, or use it to your advantage but it never goes to your head, its bloody brilliant, any other girl would have turned into a snob if they were in your position, but you just don't care what people think, well I guess you care enough to keep up appearances, but still, I imagine that we could have people walking backwards out of rooms if you asked them to," he ended in a deep sort of chuckle and Lindy looked at him curiously,

"You think I manipulate people?"

"Well, yeah," Blaise calmly took a sip of his drink, not realizing the demon he had just released,

"You think that after all my mother taught me about not abusing power that I manipulate people just because I'm beautiful and I can? What does that say about your opinion of me? That I'm some sort of manipulative bitch?" her voice was low but angry. Blaise paused and put his drink down; he dared to look at Lindy and winced when he saw her scrunched up eye brows and vicious expression.

"Umm, well, I don't think you intentionally do it, it's just that people sort of do what you want, whether you intend them to or not, most people don't have it as east as you do with getting your own way," he looked carefully at her and watched the wheels turning as her anger dissipated,

"Well that's okay then," she perked up; at least he didn't think it was intentional.

xxx

"Enjoying yourself?" Seamus asked happily as he sat on a picnic blanket with Ginny near the Shrieking Shack.

"Mmmm, definitely," she smiled as she bit into a strawberry then added chocolate cake to the mouthful, "You took this from the kitchens didn't you?" she added after swallowing – unlike Ron she refused to talk with a mouthful.

"Took? Please Ginny, they forced it upon me," Seamus laughed as Ginny nodded in understanding; Hermione was fighting a losing battle with SPEW, the elves simply didn't want to be free.

"Well, thank you anyhow Seamus, it has been a most wonderful day," she scooted over to sit beside him and rested her head on his strong shoulder, "I glad you know, that after everything that's happened, we ended up together," she felt him kiss her hair,

"I should have said something to you before, years ago, before Malfoy hurt you," he sighed and Ginny looked up at him angrily,

"We aren't going to talk about him, besides those experiences make us who we are," she smiled as he stroked her hair in agreement and her momentary anger vanished.

"I've been wanting to say something for a while now Ginny, and I want you to let me say it and not interrupt me, alright?" he saw her nod her head and watched as her hair fell to one side as she tipped her head to listen, "I know we haven't technically been together for very long at all, but I have known you for six years and I think that makes a difference when I say this, and I have to say it because it's true, I love you Ginny, I love you so much that it hurts, I love your spunkiness and your jokes, I love your sarcasm and your silliness, and how you don't need people to protect you, I love all of you," he leaned down and kissed the top of her head again; waiting for her to end the silence that had ensued.

"Thank you Seamus, for telling me," she looked up at him, eyes wide and lips slightly parted, "As messed up as I am and as broken as my heart was, somehow you managed to fix it just enough so that I can say 'I love you' back and mean it."

Seamus wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her into his lap so that they sat face to face,

"Happy Valentine's Day Ginny," Seamus leant forward and kissed Ginny passionately, she smiled and pulled away just long enough to return to sentiment before returning to drowning in his playful adoration.


	33. A Truce

The weeks following the Valentine's weekend were rather subdued. The male population re-appeared in the main hallways; no longer afraid of being attacked by lonely single girls – although I have no idea why they would object to that. Ginny had been sad to see Lacey leave late Sunday evening but at least it had been in good graces that she had said her farewells to Draco. According to Lacey he had promised her happiness and she now genuinely believed that he was going to make an effort.

The worst part had been next Monday morning when the post had arrived and with it Esme; bringing Fred and George's latest howler.

"JUST LOOK AT HER MALFOY! THAT'S WHO YOU COULD HAVE SPENT VALENTINE'S WITH, GORGEOUS ISN'T SHE, AND SURROUNDED BY HER ADORING FRIENDS BUT YOU GAVE IT ALL UP, TUT TUT"

Draco had buried his face in his hands after looking at Ginny's pale complexion. He dared just once to look up again only to meet Seamus's glare of loathing.

"Oh stop it Seamus," Ginny huffed, "I can see you glaring at each other, now stop it," she tossed her cutlery down in haste then winced as the rouge utensils bounced off the table and clanged to the floor.

"Leave him be Ginny, let him hate Malfoy in peace," Lindy said blandly as she poked at her bacon and eggs, "He's got every right, even though he should be thanking him for leaving you, else he never would have had a chance with you," Ginny wished that Lindy would either shut up or return to her usual perky self. Actually the Hydra in general had been rather subdued lately. Ginny supposed it had something to do with the After-Valentine's-Day-Romance-Collapse as she had overheard Collin calling it one evening. As he had explained it to his friends, who had become concerned with their girlfriends sudden lack of interest, it was a thing girls went through like withdrawal; all the romance on V-day (as he called it) got them all high and excited then all of a sudden life goes back to normal and they wonder why every day can't be so romantic. The solution – he had continued – was not to be so romantic on V-Day, or to be sappy every day of the year.

Ginny had laughed a little at this when she heard Colin say it, causing the group of boys to look at her like she was insane; which perhaps she was.

"Spring break is only a month away, have you figured out how you're going to escape?" Ginny whispered to Natalie during a particularly boring History of Magic lecture.

"Yeah, Jess and I have it all worked out, but I'm going to need your help, or rather I'd like you to be in on it" Natalie bit her lip as she looked sideways at Ginny, "Lindy has agreed to this as well okay, so no cold feet or anything," she waited for Ginny to nod before continuing, "Lindy will write to her mother saying she wants to go to Spain on her holiday with Blaise and some friends, her mother, being Lindy's mother will agree, as she can hardly complain about Lindy wanting to spend time with Blaise, we all tell our parents that Lindy has invited us, as she will, and we skip over to Spain," she paused and both girls held their breath as Binns looked over the class to see who was whispering,

"Anyway, I'll go to Adam's place, seeing as he only invited me and not a whole crowd, then you and Seamus, or whoever really, get to spend the rest of the vacation with Lindy and Blaise in a lovely little place near the ocean," Natalie concluded happily.

"And no one the wiser," Ginny smiled, she could do with some beach time.

They walked out of the classroom an hour later, Natalie headed off towards her Arithmancy class while Ginny walked slowly towards the common room for her free period.

"Oi, Red," a familiar voice came from behind a statue of Cameron the Coward, Ginny saw a pale hand motion towards her and against her better judgement she ducked behind the statue. Draco's beautiful face was inches from her own,

"What do you want?" she snapped waspishly,

"Come on Red, don't be like that, we don't have to be like this, hating each other, or at least you hating me, I want to make you an offer, of friendship, plain and simple no ulterior motives, you and me, friends," he sounded like his normal self, no begging or pleading, nothing strange. So why did Ginny feel so suspicious.

"Why would you want to be my friend? I've made it quite clear how I feel about you, you may as well try and buddy up with Ron and Harry," Ginny shrugged in indifference as Draco raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh,

"You are very different from the golden boy and weasel king, you actually like me," he put his hand on her shoulder and tipped his head to the side in a rather puppy dog like fashion.

"Do I really? What gave it away, the hate mail from my brothers, me inviting your wife for the weekend, or was it all the longing glances we shared?" the sarcasm was dripping from her lips like venom but Draco just laughed,

"You may hate me as much as you like me, but you can't deny it Ginny, somewhere inside you know we make a brilliant team," there was nothing flirtatious in his words, no ounce of suggestion.

"Interesting, well Draco I shall consider your offer shall I, but I've got a free period now which I intend to spend having fun," she made to dash out from behind the statue but Draco's grip on her shoulder tightened,

"See, you called me Draco, not Malfoy or prat or the amazing bouncing ferret, but Draco, and if you recall this is my free period as well, we used to spend them together all cozied up in the library, but if you want to have fun then count me in," again with the friendly tone, Ginny could hardly resist such an offer.

"Alright then, we'll view this as a trial, we get through the next hour without anything happening, and that includes me hexing you, then we can be friends," she held out her hand, which Draco shook with glee.

"If I pass do you promise to call off your brothers?" this time he was serious, the weekly humiliation was more than he could stand,

"Maybe," Ginny taunted him, he snarled at her in a dangerous sounding way but Ginny knew that his bark was worse than his bite and so she laughed; causing him to go to desperate measures.

"Please Red," he fell to his knees dramatically and clasped his hands in front of his chest, "Spare me oh great goddess and call off your brothers from their attacks upon my dignity for if they continue I fear that I shall be nothing more than a friendless shell of a man," he reached out suddenly and grabbed her hand within his own, "My lady I am begging you,"

"What in Merlin's name happened to you?" was all Ginny could think of to say, "Get up you ridiculous creature and share with me your idea of fun," she added once she had collected her wits and began to remember all the things she had liked about Draco before she had fallen in love with him.

"Well in that case," he hopped merrily to his feet, grabbed her hand within his own and began running across the castle; taking a route that Ginny knew lead to the grounds.

Finally, completely out of breath, they reached the Quidditch pitch and Ginny began to laugh happily,

"Of course, your idea of fun is to play Quidditch with two people," she teased as he summoned both of their broomsticks from their respective rooms.

"Quidditch, no, tag, yes," he smiled at her as he jumped up and onto his approaching broomstick, "And I should say that you are most definitely 'it' little Red," he flew off towards the goal posts leaving Ginny to mount her broom with a little less flair and a little more dignity. Now she had to chase after him; the very thing she'd wanted to do since Christmas.

"You rotten little Slytherin, I'll get you, you are no match for me," she yelled as she zipped after him. Admittedly he had the faster broom but Ginny's last name wasn't 'Weasley' for nothing; she was a born flier.

"You couldn't catch me if you tried little Gryffindor," he laughed as he did a loop around the goalpost before flitting down the pitch and away from her.

"You forget, I'm the reserve seeker Draco, if I can catch a tiny little snitch I recon I can get you," she flew past him and coaxed her broom into a delicate manoeuvre in which she sort of cartwheeled over his blonde head and ended up facing him. Reaching out with her small hand Ginny tapped him on the chest,

"Tag, you're it," she giggled before dropping out the sky. With perfect timing she pulled out of the dive and spiralled back up into the air; Draco close on her tail.

"Flee little Red," his eyes were hungry when Ginny looked over her shoulder; he was far more determined to catch her than she had been to catch him. With a new sense of fear Ginny pushed her broom faster and pulled it through more complex moves than she had ever bothered to do in a Quidditch match. It wasn't enough.

"Little Red, little Red," Draco came of up beneath her and literally snatched her off of her broom and into his capable arms. Her broomstick, suddenly confused and rider-less drifted sadly to the ground. Draco pulled Ginny around to face him and he smirked at her with the same wicked look in his eyes that she'd seen while he'd been chasing her.

"Mischief on the mind Draco?" she asked, trying to sound innocent. But his chiselled lips being so close made her understand his hunger.

"All sorts little Red, things that would made you blush just to hear them," he flew carefully towards the ground; drifting slowly lower and lower,

"Then I hope for your sake your picturing that with your wife," she regretted it instantly as the look on Draco's face told her that he was most definitely not picturing these blush worthy things with his wife in mind.

"Is it so loathsome for me to dream a little?" he asked quietly, his voice in earnest.

"You want to be my friend Draco, stop dreaming and accept your reality, now I accepted what Lacey did because she did it for her family, and I think that maybe I could forgive you as well if you just admit the truth of it all," Ginny stepped off of Draco's broom the moment it touched the grass but she didn't walk away. Not yet.

"You want the truth Ginny, fine, Lacey blackmailed me, threatened me with being kicked out of my society of losing the respect of my friends as well as my mother, now I know you don't hold much regard for my father but my mother is a different story, I love her and her friend was in trouble and I could help, just by marrying my fiancé, I know I promise you I was going to leave her, and I was, I had every intention to do so, but as much as I loved you, I could not willingly break my mother's heart by abandoning her," he was standing now and his voice was somewhere between yelling and tears. As his words faded from the air he noticed the look on Ginny's face had changed; she wasn't angry anymore, or threatened. There was sympathy in her eyes, sympathy and pity.

"Draco, I'm sorry," she whispered, not daring to speak any louder, lest he start yelling again, "I knew it was difficult for you but I abandoned you, I did more than that, I hated you and wreaked havoc in your life, and I'm sorry," she held her arms open and allowed him to step into her hug, allowed him to hold her close and cry into her hair.

"You had every right to hate me," he said with ragged breath, "I was terrible to you, everything you said to me, everything you did in anger was validated by my actions," he tried to step away but Ginny pulled him close again; he wasn't ever going to get away from her again, married or not.

"Perhaps a truce then, forgiveness on both sides and friendship?" she was speaking into his chest and was sure that her words were muffled but she knew he had understood when he moved his hands to her face and forced her to look at him. She knew his face so well; his stormy eyes and carefully cut features, the way his hair fell into his pale eyelashes and begged her to brush it back.

"A truce," he agreed, and then carefully as if not wanting to ruin the moment be bent down and kissed her on the forehead, "I'm a married man, but I will always love you," he spoke quietly but his words made Ginny melt.

"I'll never be able to have you back, we'll never be together again, not in the same way," Ginny was partly mourning her loss and partly telling him a fact about the future.


	34. A Taste of What's to Come

The news of Ginny's friendship with Draco spread quickly amongst the Hydra as well as a surprising amount of Draco's companions.

The flowers – which had reverted to black upon Lacey's departure – had once again become a happy looing bouquet of wild flowers. Which naturally Natalie had noticed immediately,

"Jess, Jess come look at this," she said in a voice of mock mystery,

"Oh I see, how strange it is that the flowers should change so suddenly, and to something so pretty as well," Ginny has entered the room only to hear these two speeches and to blush so deeply her face matched her hair,

"Ginny dearest, would you be so kind as to explain?" Natalie purred, "Or must I just read the card?" the purr turned into a hiss and Ginny leapt over a wayward trunk and snatched up the card in a stunning display of athleticism.

"Perhaps we should wait for Lindy so I only have to say this once," Ginny stalled,

"Wait for me to say what?" Lindy's voice trilled as she entered the dorm weighed down with books in a rather Hermione like fashion, "What?" she asked as she noticed them staring, "I do actually study you know,"

"That's nice Lindy, but right now we're looking at the flowers," Jess said perkily, Lindy gasped when she noticed them before glaring at Ginny,

"But why?"

"I was getting to that," Ginny felt her mouth go dry; Lindy was going to hate her for what she'd done.

"It just sort of happened, he said he wanted to be friends and I thought…" Ginny trailed off; she hadn't thought about it, she'd just done what her deepest nature wanted – to be with him again.

"Yeah you didn't think," Lindy shook her head, "He hurt you Ginny, he destroyed you, do I have to remind you of the things he did?" the perky Jessica and the whimsical Natalie sat dumbfounded on Ginny's bed; incapable of reprimanding her as Lindy was.

"I didn't forget Lindy, I can't forget, but I can change the way I see it, it wasn't his fault he felt that if he didn't marry her than he was betraying his mother, the only family he has left by the way," Ginny was on her feet and shouting in his defense,

"You'll never see it will you Ginny?" Lindy just shook her head,

"See what?"

"That he's trouble okay, that this _friendship _isn't going to last, that soon you're going to be his mistress or something and then you'll be all upset because your moral compass isn't pointing north anymore," Lindy finished in a huff, "Now read the damn card," she sat down with a flourish, content in her own righteousness. Ginny rolled her eyes at Lindy; determined to believe that Lindy was wrong about everything. She cleared her throat and opened the card,

"Red," she began to read aloud, "I am more than grateful for your forgiveness but I feel I must admit my motive for offering friendship, I made a promise you see, to Lacey, I promised her that we would be happy, and I know she cannot be happy if I am not, so I endeavoured to first make myself happy, and for that I need you," Ginny paused, it was like receiving a back handed slap from him and then a hug, "I hope this doesn't change anything, knowing my reasons, your friend, Draco," Ginny finished slowly and she sat down again,

"Well that was sweet," Jess said after a long and awkward silence. Ginny didn't dare look at Lindy at all for fear her face said 'I told you so'.

"He can't be happy without you, hmm what does that sound like, OH I know, like he's still in love with you," Lindy chimed, "And guess what, it's no secret that you still love him back and you know what happens when two people who are in love with each other try and just be friends," she trailed off,

"What? What happens?" Natalie whispered dramatically, she already knew the answer of course but knew that Ginny needed to hear it,

"They. Get. Back. together," Lindy said each word s if it were its own sentence, "But if that's what you want then maybe you should just go tell Seamus that you'd rather be someone's secret mistress than his girlfriend, that he loves by the way, you know he loves you," Lindy wasn't sitting anymore; her frustration was making her body move around and tidy things up.

"Being friends with Draco doesn't mean that I want to leave Seamus, but I promise that if anything happens between Draco and myself I will tell Seamus and let him decide how things are going to be," Ginny tucked the card away and pulled out a rather nasty transfiguration assignment to indicate that she was finished with the discussion.

"If you say so Ginny," Lindy sighed, she continued cleaning up her stuff until everything was sorted to perfection.

"Well, I thought I was nice," Jess said quietly to no one in particular.

(A/N – I know it's short but I am rather busy, and I thought that y'all would prefer something short to nothing at all. Please please please, review, pretty please with a cherry on top)


	35. In the Library

A week passed quietly at Hogwarts. Ginny could bring herself to smile at the Slytherin table each morning when Draco waved; a few people gave questioning looks but didn't ask. She would then go and sit happily beside Seamus who would – to Dean's great disgust – kiss Ginny on the cheek, or the hand, or the top of her head. He was never over the top, or dramatic, he was peaceful and Ginny could feel herself settling into an easygoing rhythm with him.

"How are you this morning?" he asked with honest interest,

"I am, more content then I've been in a long time," Ginny smiled brightly at her boyfriend, "I've mended things that needed mending and I think that's made all the difference," she couldn't help but grin as Seamus wrapped his arm around her and gave her a one armed hug,

"I'm glad to hear it," they went back to breakfast in comfortable silence. Ginny had heard it said – probably from Natalie – that the mark of a good couple was their ability to just be quiet together. It gave her peace of mind for the first time in a long time to think that perhaps she had found her soul mate in Seamus and her best friend in Draco.

The bell rang quietly beneath the babble of students and Ginny stood up quickly. She gave Seamus a quick kiss goodbye – once again wishing that they could have classes together – and was about to dash out the doors when she collided painfully with something. Or rather someone,

"Ouch, oh hey Ginny," Terry's expression was one of false cheeriness,

"Hey Terry, listen, how've you been?" they began walking in the same direction, both headed for the first floor,

"What, since you publically humiliated me? Oh I've been doing swell Ginny, people are almost starting to forget now," he shook his head and laughed at her shocked expression, "I'm joking Ginny, I don't blame you, he left you messed up, I've actually been alright, how about yourself?" relieved, Ginny laughed nervously,

"I think I'm finally better," she bit her lip, "It took some time, you're right of course I was completely messed up, but I'm better now," happy to hear that she hadn't left Terry completely broken hearted Ginny wished him a good day before running off to class.

Today was the second last free period that Ginny would have with Draco before the Easter Holiday. She sat impatiently through her charms class that morning, mindlessly trying to learn a charm that Flitwick promised would clean an entire room for them if only they would focus.

Jessica had quickly mastered it and was currently gloating over her perfectly clean desk while Lindy, Natalie, and Ginny all sat with various pieces of rubbish and mismatched socks on their respective tables.

"So the holiday is just over a week away, I think we should all write to our parents tonight and ask permission to go with 'Lindy' to Spain, and Ginny you need to ask Seamus if he wants to come as well, Lindy has already asked Blaise, but Harry said he was going to the Burrow when Jess asked him, said it was something important," Natalie had clearly given up on the charm.

"Of course we'll write Natalie, as if we'd ruin your plan by not writing, you'd murder us," Ginny teased, "And Jess, if Seamus can't come we'll have tons of fun together, and if he can, we'll work on finding you a lovely Spaniard to keep you company for the week," Jess blushed – she didn't want a Spaniard, she wanted Harry.

"Relax Natalie," Lindy chimed in after finally getting the charm to clean her desk, "Everyone will write and it will be perfect and you can spend the holiday with your charming Adam," Lindy was personally happy that Natalie was dragging them to Spain; it meant she got quality time with Blaise on a beach.

Class ended soon after Ginny managed to work the charm but long before Natalie had bothered to get started on it – earning her extra homework. The class cleared out quickly and Ginny hurried to the library where she knew Draco would be waiting.

"Have a good class?" he asked amiably as he pulled a seat out for her in a true gentlemanly fashion,

"We learnt how to clean up messes," Ginny said with a childlike proudness and only the slightest touch of sarcasm,

"Oh good, because in potions Longbottom melted Finnigan's caldron again so he might need your help cleaning up," Draco commented happily,

"Wonderful, leave the cleaning to the women, how typical," Ginny pretended to be upset, in truth she didn't care about the whole feminism thing; people also opened doors for her and helped her into her seat – there were pros and cons to everything in life.

"Oh please, as if you don't savour coming to poor Finnigan's rescue," Draco put on a sappy voice, his stormy eyes mocked her,

"Seamus doesn't need saving," Ginny tried to sound bored as she opened her transfiguration textbook and started on the essay McGonagall had set the previous day.

"Oh of course, I forgot, Seamus is a perfect little darling of a boyfriend who loves you dearly and would never hurt you," again with the mocking tone,

"That about sums it up," Ginny said without looking away from her parchment. He was not going to taunt her into speaking about relationships. She wouldn't allow it; not after the talking down Lindy had given her.

"You're angry with me," Draco slumped back into his chair and glared at the redhead who was determinedly not looking at him, "Why are you angry?" the look in his eyes would have caused any normal girl to melt and go all woozy but Ginny was used to that look and besides he didn't have the right to make her melt anymore; only Seamus was allowed to do that.

"I'm not angry," she said tonelessly,

"Yes you are," he insisted,

"You sound like a child,"

"You're acting like one,"

"I might be angry with you soon if you don't shut up," Ginny made the mistake of looking at him just then. She was frozen by the deepest expression of self-loathing on Draco's face, "What's wrong?" she spoke before remembering that she was arguing with him.

"I'm just remembering the things I gave up is all, and yes you are angry with me," obviously he didn't particularly want to talk about their relationship either; which was exactly why Ginny wasn't going to tell him why she was angry; because it had everything to do with the fact that Lindy might have been right.

"Come on little Red, 'fess up," he leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table and his face in his hands he looked almost pitiful – as pitiful as a Slytherin love god could ever look anyway.

"You really want to know?" she tried to make it sound boring, as if her anger should have been below his notice. It didn't work,

"Of course I want to know, as your friend it is my duty to care about such things," Draco said very officially, "Now tell me,"

"Fine," Ginny looked up from her essay and glared at him, "Lindy said that this whole friendship thing was never going to work because it's clear that we're both still in love with each other and we'll just end up doing something stupid and I'll get used and hurt all over again," out of habit she was whispering – it was a library after all! – But her tone suggested that had they been elsewhere she would have been yelling.

"You're still in love with me?" he looked shocked and paler than usual,

"Really? That was what you got from that?" Ginny shook her head, her hair swayed dangerously as she looked back down at her essay trying desperately not to cry again and smudge the ink.

"Well, I heard the rest," he said innocently, "But that was kind of the important part because if you're not in love with me anymore than clearly nothing is going to happen so you needn't worry," head still resting on his hands he looked the picture of innocence and logic.

"Well, yeah okay, but Lindy made it all sound very convincing," Ginny pulled her eyebrows down in frustration. Did she still love him? She thought she loved Seamus, but every now and then Draco reminded her why she had loved him so desperately.

"Yes, well Lindy is engaged to Blaise, the master of manipulation, so it's reasonable to conclude that his talent has worn off on her," Draco smiled, completely at ease.

"Right, well then, seeing as I am head over heels in love with dear Seamus now, we can put all that aside," Ginny gave him once last glance before focussing on her essay with a new found determination.

"Of course," there was a hint of disbelief in his tone but Ginny didn't challenge it because she wasn't completely sure herself if she was in love with Seamus or not. She liked him enormously of course, adored him completely, was entirely comfortable with him, but did she love him? She'd told him she did on Valentine's, and she certainly thought she did? But then why did she feel so drawn to Draco?

Ginny continued to ponder this while she pieced together he essay on transfiguring other humans. Draco sat quietly reading a book about Herbology for his own homework and lunch hour was well underway before either of them had realized the bell had rung which was naturally why dear Seamus had felt the need to come looking for the missing red head.

"Ginny," he said quietly, she jumped about a mile before turning around, "Ginny it's lunchtime what are you doing here?" Seamus rested his hands on her shoulders protectively as Draco looked at him with what could possibly interpreted as shyness, "And in such company as well," Seamus added.

"Fix your caldron yet Finnigan?" Draco said cheerily, as happy to mock him as he had been to mock Terry.

"I'm working on it, thank you so much for caring," Seamus gave a sarcastic smile and turned back to Ginny, "Did you lose track of time or something, wrapped up in your essay? Or were you wrapped up in something else?" the last was said with a notable glance at Draco,

"Oh please Seamus, you really don't have to worry about that, I just didn't hear the bell right is all," she stood up and hugged him close,

"Yes Finnigan, not to worry," Draco's eyes twinkled, he wasn't helping.

"I will always worry about you when you spend time with him," Seamus didn't bother to make himself heard only to Ginny. Seamus was happy to let the blonde boy know that he wasn't trusted.

"Of course, because a Slytherin can never be trusted, it all makes sense now," Ginny bit her lip and tried desperately not to laugh. She buried her face into Seamus's chest and imagined that she wasn't there and that she couldn't hear anything.

"It's only you I don't trust Malfoy," Seamus hissed, his accent getting stronger along with his anger.

"I would never take advantage of a girl who doesn't like me, so it's not me you have to trust Finnigan, it's her," Ginny could practically hear the raised eye-brow in Draco's tone.

"Of course I trust her; she's never given me reason not to,"

"Oh that's right, you're the one she told everything to, you had the whole truth right from the get-go didn't you Finnigan, how nice for you, well if she's told you everything then I suppose you know that she and I are just friends, I'm a married man if you recall," he moved his ring finger to allow the silver band to catch the light.

"That's right Malfoy, and I seem to recall something else, you're the one who left her out in the cold and broke her heart, I can hardly see the motivation for friendship, it makes sense for Ginny of course, she wanted closure, but you, you're just playing with her heart all over again," Ginny snuggled closer to Seamus, trying to actually vanish now.

"Me, I'm keeping the wife happy, but seriously don't worry, you're the one she loves, not me," Draco stood up very suddenly and left the library while his pride was still intact. Ginny tried to stay hidden in Seamus's chest but he pulled her away to look at her more closely,

"Is that true?" Seamus looked her in the eye, "the part about you loving me?"

"We already did this Seamus, on Valentine's if you don't remember," Ginny whispered, now was not the time to attract the attention of the vulture-like librarian.

"Yeah but it was Valentine's and I said it first so I sort of figured that you just said it because you felt pressured and were caught up in the moment," he stroked her hair away from her face and tipped her head back a little so she was looking up at him,

"I meant it," she whispered, "truly I did," she smiled happily as he glowed with pride at being the one that Ginny Weasley loved.

"Good," Seamus's accent was heavy now, but not with anger as he lowered his mouth to hers. Ginny stopped him at the last moment – not something she made a habit of doing I assure you –

"What?" Ginny could feel Seamus's laughter she was so close to him,

"I just remembered something I need to ask you," she smiled brightly, "Natalie has this big scheme planned, but that doesn't really matter, what matters is, would you like to come to Spain with me on Easter Holiday?" she bounced on the balls of her feet as Seamus's eyebrows disappeared into his shaggy hair,

"You want me to go to Spain with you?" he said the words slowly as if he didn't believe she had actually asked him that,

"Yeah, cause Natalie was invited to go to visit Adam, so she needs Lindy, Jess, and myself as a cover story, so Lindy invited Blaise and told her mother than she wanted to spend some time with him and her friends, so the story is she's invited us all to Spain, which is true, but it all adds up to yeah, do you want to come to Spain?" Ginny said this all very quickly so it was lucky that Seamus was Irish because no one else could possibly have understood her.

"So I get to spend the holiday with my gorgeous girlfriend, who will more than likely be in a swimsuit most of the time, Lindy will be all distracted with Blaise and Natalie will have vanished with this Adam guy, what about Jess?"

"Oh, she invited Harry but he can't come, so the mission will be to find her a handsome Spaniard to spend her time with," Ginny said happily,

"Lucky Jessica," he hummed,

"Well?" Ginny prodded, "Are you gonna come?" she was worried now, what if he didn't want to come? What did that say about how he felt about her?

"Well of course I want to come Ginny, who wouldn't? But I'll need to ask my mam first, she can be really strict about this kind of thing," he seemed almost embarrassed at still being at the beck and call of his mother.

"Oh yeah, none of us have written home yet to ask either," Ginny admitted with a roll of her eyes, "But Lindy has a great reputation for responsibility so we all figure they'll say yes,"

"I see, well in that case you can count me in with great enthusiasm," he smiled as Ginny jumped up and hugged him tightly; her toes barely touching the ground,

"I knew you'd come!"

"You seemed awfully worried for a girl who knew her boyfriend would agree," Seamus teased,

"Shut up," Ginny hissed. By now they had properly missed lunch but neither cared as they shared a feast of kisses behind the dusty books.


	36. Spain Part 1

The remaining week before Easter break flew by like a phoenix in the flames; pausing only to allow Ginny and Draco one last free period together.

"So you really are going to Spain with Finnigan?" Draco broke a long moment's silence,

"With Lindy, but yes Seamus is coming," Ginny said plainly and continued working on a particularly nasty piece of potions homework.

"Wow, you must really like this guy," Draco muttered as his quill paused over his parchment, "If I'd invited you to Spain on our own little private holiday would you have come with me?" during the last week they'd finally started talking about their relationship and becoming honest friends.

"I would have been nervous as Snape confronted with shampoo but yes I would have found a way to go," she said honestly after a moment's thought, "I suppose I had too much faith that you wouldn't take advantage of me," Ginny looked pointedly at the silver ring on Draco's left hand but her tone was still light and playful.

"You know I would never have done anything you didn't want me to do," this time his words held so much suggestion that Ginny was forced to bow her head to her parchment and hope her hair covered her extensive blushing. Draco laughed as he noticed her manoeuvre,

"I always wondered why that sort of thing embarrassed you so much Ginny, you appear to greatly enjoy snogging but you turn bright red whenever someone actually talks about it," as it wasn't specifically stated as a question Ginny chose to ignore it.

"What are you doing over the break?" she said politely after finishing another murderous paragraph,

"Tell me why it embarrasses you and I'll share my plans," he levelled his grey eyes at her with a knowing smirk,

"Nope, don't want to know that much, I'll just write Lacey and ask her," Ginny grinned, pleased with her trickery and new found talent for manipulating Draco,

"Come come, is it really so terrible for a person to talk about snogging?" _he has to be doing this on purpose, using that stupid sexy voice to make me blush. _Ginny dared look away from her smeared essay to glare at him,

"I have a problem with you talking about it while I'm trying to work,"

"That's not it, you're just avoiding the question," he leaned towards her, "Or is it me that makes you uncomfortable?" he taunted, happy in his knowledge that despite everything that had happened Ginny still found every aspect of him drop dead sexy.

"Alright, fine," Ginny huffed and tossed her quill aside, "It's awkward because you keep using that stupid sexy voice and it drives me insane," she crossed her arms and glared at him hoping her outburst hadn't caught the attention of the fearsome Madam Pince.

"Still think my voice is sexy do you? Even with Finnigan's accent, tut tut Miss Red, I wonder what other parts of me you still admire, his tone was playful and sexy and all Ginny wanted to do was snog him into silence then go back to writing the ridiculous essay. His eyes glinted as he read her expression,

"Really Miss Red, you'd do all that even though you have plans with your boyfriend to go to Spain together," Draco somehow managed to laugh even though deep down he wished as much as Ginny did that they were free to be with each other in every way.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny said in a falsely modest and calm voice. Internally she was slapping herself for not being over Malfoy like she should have been.

"Do you want me to visit you in Spain, I have a feeling that Lacey would love to go, she's been talking about it ever since Blaise let slip that he was going with Lindy," he looked at her at if he would honestly like to spend time with her and Seamus while he was with Lacey,

"Perhaps if you write to me we'll find some time to steal away," Ginny smiled happily, this was the Draco she'd fallen in love with. Too bad for him her heart now belonged to the sandy haired boy standing in the library entrance looking warily at Ginny and the blonde boy; their heads close together and smiles on their perfect faces.

"I'll write to you Ginny, or get Lacey to, she's been longing to see you ever since Valentines," he smiled again, one of those genuinely happy smiles that used to make Ginny go weak in the knees but for now it only softened her previously hard heart,

"For now," he continued, "I'll leave you in the capable hands of Mr. Finnigan here who looks like he's come to jealously sweep you away from me," one last happy glance was shared before Draco left as promised.

"You two always look so perfect together," Seamus said sadly but Ginny noticed the glint in his eye and recognized the ploy for her pity.

"Oh aren't we just, so equal and perfect for each other in every way, pity he's married and she's happy in her relationship with this ridiculous Irish guy," Ginny laughed as Seamus's pout turned into a grin,

"You all packed?" he said while his hand snuck around her waist,

"Definitely," Ginny smiled and leaned onto his shoulder, "you?"

"Almost I think, Ron keeps giving me weird looks, don't worry I haven't told him anything except that I'm going on holidays but I think he suspects ever since Harry told him that Jess had invited him to Spain," he laughed cheerily at the worried expression on his girlfriend's face, "I told Harry the plan and he's promised not to tell Ron, somehow I get the feeling he wishes he could be going as well so he's hardly going to spoil it for the rest of us," Seamus pulled her just a little bit closer.

"Good," Ginny matched his grin, "Because I've been looking forward to this too much to have Ronald spoil it," on tip toes Ginny kissed Seamus on the cheek, "Finish packing and then we'll have some fun," she whispered before dashing off to her next class. Seamus behind her whispered quietly,

"Well now I'm motivated,"

xxx

Early the next morning a messy group could be found in the headmaster's office as he sent them off towards Lindy's house via portkey. First Lindy with Blaise, followed by Jess and Natalie and finally a yawning Ginny helped along by a bright eyed Seamus.

"Um, wow," was all Seamus managed as he stepping out of the fireplace and into Lindy's living room, "This is impressive Lindy," he raised an eyebrow in appreciation of the immense wealth.

"Thank you," Lindy muttered in an offhand sort of way, she was watching her mother descent the stairs,

"Lindy dearest, and Blaise, looking as handsome as ever," Mrs. Jack-Mason smiled widely at her future son-in-law, "And Ginny darling how lovely to see you again, so this must be Natalie, Jessica, and..." she looked curiously at Seamus before Ginny was forced to introduce him and Mrs. Jack-Mason responded with a 'pleasure, I'm sure'.

"Now, dears I've set up the house so everything is ready for you to floo in, I want a solemn promised from all of you that you will behave yourselves," she looked shockingly like Lindy when she glared at the schoolchildren and waited for them all to reply demurely before continuing, "So as I said everything is ready, Lindy dear Anna is already at the house so she can assist you with anything, yes I'll manage without her for the week I'm not completely useless you know," she chided as her daughter's glance questioned her mother's ability to manage without the house elf.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Jack-Mason," Natalie smiled the widest of them all as they gave their thanks before stepping into the fireplace.

"Not a problem dear," the society lady smiled as she wished them farewell.

xxx

Stepping out of the Spanish fireplace was more shocking than stepping out of the one in Lindy's house. Everything was made of white stone and elegantly patterned wood. Soft plants grew up the walls of the courtyard and Ginny could only sigh and breath in the warm air as she stepped from the fireplace and into Seamus's arms.

"Lindy I cannot thank you enough for bringing me here," she said in awe,

"Hey, it was my idea if you've all forgotten," Natalie said loudly, feigning annoyance,

"Yes, thank you Natalie for being invited to Spain by a very rich man who adores you," Jess chimed in, happy to be in the heat even without Harry.

"Oh whatever, he said that he'd come and get me this evening," Natalie smiled brightly, "So let's explore this place before I go," she seemed to bounce on her toes as she left her luggage in the courtyard and dashed into the main house, Jessica trailing close behind. Lindy and Ginny looked at each other saying silently, 'what have we unleashed' before laughing and following their giggling friends.

Left behind in a rather awkward silence was the luggage and the two boys who previous to that day had never spoken to each other let alone been left with only each other for company.

"So, what is the deal with you and Lindy anyway," Seamus finally asked out of burning curiosity, "Nobody wants to tell me how a girl like her ended up with a Slytherin," Blaise laughed happily and sat on the closest stone bench,

"We were betrothed to each other as children, she has a choice in the matter though, it is considered reasonable for the girl in such a relationship to leave the boy, but I could not leave her without being shamed, not that I want to of course, Lindy is absolutely fabulous," he smiled and looked off into the distance as if thanking fate for forcing them together,

"So like, an arranged marriage?" Seamus sat on the luggage, "Is that how Malfoy ended up getting married so soon?" this was all becoming much more interesting to him as he saw how it might factor into Ginny's relationship with Draco.

"Actually yes, he and Lacey weren't supposed to be married until they both graduated but Lacey had a very sudden need to change the date of the wedding," Blaise shook his head, still in disbelief that Lacey's father had been so foolish with his fortune.

"Wait, is she like pregnant or something?" Seamus's eyes bulged as the idea occurred to him. He relaxed as Blaise looked at him in shock and burst out laughing,

"Very funny Seamus," he shook his head as if in denial that anyone could be so stupid,

"Well it's a reasonable guess isn't it?" he said indignantly,

"Oh I suppose it is, it's just that knowing Draco and Lacey, suggesting such a thing is amusing, Draco didn't want to marry her, he wanted to ditch everything and stay with Ginny but then Lacey dashed to him with her father's problem, a true damsel in distress she was and Draco had no choice," Blaise spoke more freely than he ever had, the warmth of the Spanish sun forcing him to relax.

"He wanted to stay with Ginny?" Seamus's voice was suddenly pale and his accent very prominent,

"Yeah, she was head over heels for him as well, then he went and got married and she was destroyed, I actually haven't seen her quite the same since, she's colder and more distant, I suppose she's been doing better lately but still, purely wrecked when she got the news," he commented as if completely forgetting that Seamus and Ginny were together, "Perhaps Spain will do her some good, I hope so, she used to be such a lovely girl, always smiling and laughing," Blaise ended shaking his head; he was honestly worried for his red headed Gryffindor friend.

Seamus sat very still. Draco had never stopped loving Ginny or truly left her. He'd been forced into marrying someone else. Of course he'd known parts of the story but the idea that perhaps they still loved each other haunted him; images of Ginny and Draco cozied up in the library floated through his mind. Suspicion and worry edged into his brain like a whisper from Circe.

"Anyway, she seems happy enough with you so I wouldn't worry about it, also Draco is making an honest effort to keep Lacey happy so I reckon you'll be okay," Blaise tried to give a consoling look as he realized the effect his words were having on Seamus.

"Yeah, sure," the Irish boy muttered before getting up to follow Blaise in his search for the girls.

xxx

Eventually they were found in raptures over a drawer full of summer dresses and various bikinis.

"We come all this way and all you notice are the clothes?" Blaise shook his head at Lindy, "Lindastaire I cannot believe you," he kept shaking his head until Lindy looked at him with a pout,

"But, they're really nice clothes," she pretended to whine as Jess came out of the bathroom wearing a new white cotton dress over a matching bikini. To their credit neither of the boys looked at her for too long. Ginny was a whole other story. When she re-entered the room in a black string bikini Seamus stared openly at a loss for words.

"What are you thinking Seamus?" Ginny giggled at how the situation between herself and Draco was now reversed between herself and Seamus, "From your blush I'm guessing something terribly naughty, and I must forbid it as we are not entirely alone," she kept giggling as Seamus stood there with his mouth slightly open. This was a side to Ginny he hadn't seen before; or perhaps he was simply imagining her being this way with Draco.

"Lindy you put them all to shame," this was Blaise's low voice as Lindy came out in halter neck number in her favourite shade of red. She was closely followed by Natalie wearing a similar swimsuit in hot pink.

"I'm glad you think so dear," Lindy smiled calmly, ignoring all suggestion in Blaise's voice. Jess and Natalie were giving each other the typical girl style 'check me' 'you're good' before declaring themselves perfect and water ready.

Once again leaving the boys behind the girls dashed out of the house and towards the beach. Blaise began looking calmly around the house as Seamus felt more questions burning inside his skull,

"Blaise," he started, the dark skinned boy turned to look at him curiously,

"Everyone thought you were the boy who knew the whole truth Seamus, I'm thinking now that perhaps that is not true," his insights made Seamus hesitate.

"I knew some of the truth, but perhaps if you know you could tell me where Terry came into everything and why Malfoy is being all friendly with Ginny now," Seamus looked around the room the most miserable person on holiday at that moment.

"Terry was hopeful that Ginny would go back to him once she came to terms with losing Draco, problem was she never came to terms with it as far as I can tell, she just kept on pining until she came to the realization that she didn't need Draco, she needed the feeling of having him, of having something forbidden, Terry wasn't forbidden but his presence made you even more so," Blaise paused to give Seamus a moment to absorb and collect his thoughts,

"But what about now, Terry isn't in the picture anymore and she spends all her free time with Draco in the library," again his accent gained weight as his worry increased.

"I wouldn't worry about that yet Seamus, Draco made a promise to Lacey, he promised that they'd both be happy and Draco knows that his happiness is seated in his relationship with Ginny, so as long as Ginny doesn't push the boundaries, and I reckon she won't yet, then Draco will stay friends with her,"

"What do you mean 'yet'?" the worry was returning even though it was evident that Blaise was trying to calm him with the truth,

"She loved him too much to be able to stay just friends with him now, Draco's the same it's just that he has more self-control," Blaise just shrugged as if he had already accepted the inevitable before seeing the look of horror on Seamus's face, "Then again she might not do anything, as I said before she seems to be happy with you," he back tracked and decided that it was probably time to go swimming with the girls before Natalie left and Jessica became sulky.

"Right," Seamus muttered as Blaise walked away, changed into swimming trunks and dove into the ocean only to scoop up Lindy from below the surface and spin her around in the water.

xxx

"Now y'all be good without me," Natalie looked almost as stern as Mrs. Jack-Mason as she glared at her friends,

"Natalie just go and have fun," Lindy gave he a shove towards the waiting Adam who smiled charmingly at the group of girls.

"I will, I will, I just want to make sure you won't die without me," this time she laughed before picking up her purse and skipping over towards Adam who smiled brightly at her and waved to the group in thanks. As they walked out the front gate Adam leaned over Natalie and whispered something in her ear.

"Well that's that," Lindy said after a moment of silence, "Let's go look at sleeping arrangements," this was the part that everyone had been wondering about.

"You know we won't allow you to have sleepovers with Blaise," Jess chided, "It's simply unfair to me and Ginny won't allow it," everyone looked at Ginny, who looked at Jess, who looked back her before sighing, "Oh whatever Ginny, you and Seamus take a room, Lindy can share with Blaise and I'll just be all alone down the hall listening to things I'd rather not hear,"

"Don't be that way Jess," Lindy laughed and wrinkled her nose, "Us girls will share a room and the boys can share as well, that prevents anyone from having sleepovers," Jess looked considerably happier but the look on Blaise's face said he'd rather not spend too much more time with Seamus alone for fear he would continue his line of questioning.

Despite this, nothing could have prevented the remaining friends to enjoy their picnic dinner that Anna had arranged for them. Happily seated in Seamus's lap Ginny ate strawberries dipped in chocolate and giggled as Seamus licked it from her lips. Jessica's reaction to all of it was pure jealous disgust.

"We'll find you a Spaniard soon Jess," Ginny soothed, "didn't Adam have a friend that you liked?" she remembered the Christmas Eve party with a pained expression but Jess cheered up after the mention of Adam's friend.

"Perhaps then she'll allow sleepovers," Lindy teased from her spot curled up next to Blaise. Jess looked at Lindy sarcastically and rolled her eyes as if such a thing was still completely out of the question.

"Relax Jess, we aren't just going to start going at it right in front of you," oddly this came from Seamus and as Ginny turned a peculiar shade of red he almost regretted his words.

"Yeah, like all of Ginny's midnight picnics with Draco, sure we couldn't see what was happening but we all knew," her voice was bitter and the group gasped appropriately.

"Jessica!" Lindy hissed, "Ginny and _Seamus_ happen to be sitting right here" pale from shock Lindy looked carefully over at Ginny and was surprised to find her looking quite calm,

"Mmmm, those were fun," she said with a laugh, "and you over estimate what happened Jess," Ginny couldn't see the look of horror on her boyfriend's face as she recalled fond memories of times with her ex.

"Lindy was right Ginny, I am sitting right here," he said slowly, there had been too much 'Ginny and Draco' talk for his liking.

"Course you are," Ginny said with a smile as she tipped her head back to look at him, "Doesn't mean I can't look back at good memories," she rolled her eyes a little at Seamus's continued fretting before saying, "You want the full story, fine, Draco and I used to hang out on the Quidditch bleachers at night after games and stuff, sometimes we had picnics of candy and butterbeer, big deal,"

"Like your cozy little homework sessions in the library," he commented dryly,

"Okay guys, this is officially awkward," Lindy grimaced as everyone looked at her, "Seamus, get the ideas out of your head, can't you see that Ginny is devoted to you?" when Seamus relented and nodded Lindy managed a smile, "There we go people, now I think we should all sing muggle campfire songs then look at the stars like they do in movies before going to bed,"

Everyone grudgingly agreed to this and Jessica led them in a fast real about a man with a wife and two kids who worked at a button factory. Before long Lindy had fallen asleep on Blaise's shoulder and Seamus was dozing with his head in Ginny's lap as she stroked his hair. Jess was on her other side,

"I'm sorry about what I said," Jess whispered, "It's just a little hard being the fifth wheel,"

"Forget about it Jess," Ginny smiled and gave her friend a one armed hug.

(A/N – reviews are awesome…)


	37. Spain Part 2

Ginny buried her face into her pillow as someone opened the curtains and let the treacherous light pass through.

"I'm sleeping," she mumbled into the pillow, a quiet laugh came from the criminal curtain opener; "Go away," she huffed. She felt the weight on her be shift as someone sat down beside her then a hand slipped under her tank top and began rubbing the small of her back.

"Are you sure you want me to leave?" this time Seamus's accent was noticeable and Ginny could feel herself start to smile despite her determination to sleep until noon.

"I suppose you can stay for a while," she relented without looking away from her dear pillow,

"Oh that's very gracious of you," Seamus teased as he lay on his back beside her, "Lindy and Blaise are out shopping, or I suppose Lindy is shopping and Blaise is smiling benignly in the background,"

"Where's Jess?"

"Out for a swim," the smile was evident in Seamus's voice and Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course they were entirely alone.

"How lucky for us," still buried and half-asleep Ginny let Seamus play with her hair for a while and only really started waking up when she noticed that he was kissing her neck softly.

"Careful Seamus," she rolled over to look at him. Her boyfriend was shirtless, "what are you thinking of?" she smirked at the gorgeous boy wearing nothing but jeans and a devious grin,

"I was thinking about you," the 'duh' was evident in his tone, "Why? Should I be thinking of another girl while looking at you?" he laughed and continued to play with her hair, conveniently this wrapped Ginny up in his arms.

"It's written all over your face Seamus, we're all alone, lying on a bed, I can add two and two together, and" she rolled her eyes at him again, "I must inform you, I'm far too awake to do any sleeping," the sarcasm was evident. Perhaps some boys thought that Ginny was naïve; but raised with six brothers she was entirely aware of what guys thought about her and her body.

"Very funny red," Seamus leant forward to kiss her softly, "I'm not particularly tired either," the heavier his accent got the more trouble Ginny knew she was in,

"You're pushing your luck Seamus," she smiled blandly and rolled over, "I'm perfectly happy to kiss you into oblivion but if you think for a second you're going to get anything else…" she let the words speak for themselves and was surprised when Seamus laughed,

"That's what you're on about, fear not red I'm not here to take advantage of you," strangely enough he was being honest and Ginny rolled back to look at him,

"Isn't that nice," she muttered but was forced to smile as Seamus kissed her again,

"Of course most men would take advantage of this, but you know me, I'm not one of them," he punctuated his words with kisses as he wrapped his arms around her. Ginny nuzzled into his chest and sighed,

"Who is it you think I've been with that you assume has taken advantage of me?" she had to ask; Seamus had been acting oddly lately. Almost like he was jealous of something and Ginny had an inkling of what is was about.

"You were with a Slytherin Ginny, naturally I worry," he purred, trying to pass off jealous as a protective nature.

"I've told you already, he was a perfect gentleman," she huffed and pulled away a little, "Draco was a loving person who was entirely willing to let me set the pace, he never did anything I didn't want him to, so you can stop your worrying," she wasn't thinking too much about the words,

"You're very defensive of him," he said while stroking her back,

"Yes, well he's my friend now and I have no grudge," Ginny tried to backtrack, realizing how her outburst must have sounded,

"Are you sure he's not more than a friend Ginny? I was your friend and I certainly didn't get looked at the way you look at him," his voice was bitter,

"Stop it Seamus, Blaise told me that you'd come asking questions and he also mentioned that he told you the truth, so just stop it," an ounce of pain slipped through Ginny's careful façade,

"Are you really that broken up about it? Blaise seemed to think it changed you permanently," he wasn't looking her in the eye but Ginny knew that this was finally the time for honesty,

"I was completely and utterly destroyed, I've never been able to open up like it did with him, I can feel my heart getting harder," this time the pain was so evident that Seamus wished he hadn't asked at all, "And now he's fixing it, or trying to, and I can't help but feel sometimes like what we had never actually went away, it was just sort of stolen," she looked Seamus in the eye then quickly looked away when she saw the agony written there.

"What about me?" he whispered, "I was the dangerous replacement guy, but without Terry, how can I still be dangerous for you?"

"Blaise really did fill you in," she hiccoughed, "You make me happy again Seamus, happy enough to make me believe that maybe I'm healing," this time she kissed him and whispered through her tears, "Trust me when I say I love you, and I will never lie to you," their faces were so close together than Ginny's tears were falling down Seamus's cheeks.

"I am sorry to interrupt Sir and Miss, but you have visitors," Anna's squeaky elf voice came from the door,

"Who is it Anna?" Ginny's voice was strong again as she forced herself to sit up and wipe her face clean,

"Tis' the young Master Malfoy and his wife," Anna said promptly, "They say they would have written but their vacation came together very quickly,"

"We're coming Anna," Ginny smiled at the elf as best she could and watched her walk away, "Come on Seamus, let's go great out guest and do our best not to murder them," she looked pointedly at her visibly upset boyfriend.

"If he so much as looks at you the wrong way…" the suggestion of great pain was implied,

"Don't even start with that, he looks at everyone the wrong way," Ginny shook her head, "You will be polite," there was no question in her commanding voice.

"Yes Ma'am" Seamus sighed, "I will sit and talk nicely as the guy who broke your heart smiles suggestively all the while, oh and not to mention his wife will be sitting right there,"

"Shut up Seamus,"

xxx

Draco stood with his hands in the pockets as the house elf went to get Ginny. He probably should have written before just showing up but Lacey had insisted that it would be fine as she and Ginny were something like friends.

"Draco," Ginny smiled as she saw him, trailing behind her – to Draco's dismay – was Seamus.

"Ginny, having a good holiday?" he put a hand on her shoulder in greeting and wished that he could have hugged her at the very least.

"I've only had one full day here but I adore it already, and how are you Lacey," the formal tone was annoying and Draco could see it was bugging Lacey as much as it was annoying him,

"I'm fabulous," Lacey stepped forward to give Ginny a hug and break the tension, "Frankly I'm just glad someone was here, or else I'd have to spend the rest of the day with this grump," she looked loving at Draco as she teased him. Seamus was the only one who continued to look blindsided and Draco took great pleasure in making it worse,

"I am not a grump, Ginny doesn't think I'm a grump, do you Ginny?" he made sure his eyes were saying that Ginny thought he was anything but a grump and was pleased when she blushed.

"Of course you are," her words didn't match her expression, "you are absolutely almost as grumpy as Seamus," her eyes told him she was actually saying something along the lines of 'Bastard, I know exactly what you're trying to do'.

"Well, I actually have a hankering to swim," Lacey looked around with a smile, "I was under the impression that we were all on holidays in Spain and not at a sarcasm match," she looked hopefully over to Seamus, "Or perhaps you would swim with me while we let these two yell at each other for a while,"

Draco was surprised that Lacey trusted him enough to be left alone with Ginny. Perhaps his efforts to make her happy were working.

"Oh, umm alright," Seamus looked dubious of leaving Ginny alone with Draco but he could hardly see how to be polite and reject Lacey while she so obviously trusted her husband.

"Lovely," Lacey stood up on tiptoes to kiss Draco on the cheek before she took Seamus's arm and dragged him away.

"Did you ask her to do that?" he watched Ginny giggle as she spoke to him,

"Actually no, she really is getting rather good at determining what needs to be done," Draco smiled at Ginny, but he couldn't help but notice that her face held signs of crying.

"So," she looked around the courtyard,

"Why were you crying Ginny?" he looked away from her as he said it but then promptly looked her in the eyes and watched as she struggled with the truth,

"Seamus is jealous of you, I don't think he believed me when I told him that you were my friend now, and he has some weird idea that you took advantage of me and oh I don't know what to do Draco," she slumped down on a stone bench and put her head in her hands. Draco went to sit beside her and put his arm around her shoulders,

"I'd say that you should probably stick to the truth Ginny, we both know I didn't take advantage of you, I had every plan to stay with you, those plans being ruined I've tried my best to make things up to you,"

"I think that's what he's worried about, that we didn't really break up, he thinks that we're still in love with each other same as we were before," her head fell into his shoulder and he could hear her breathing get more and more ragged.

"He's right you know," Draco sighed, "I never stopped loving you," he gently kissed the top of her head. He'd done it a hundred times before but something about this kiss changed things.

"Nor I you," Ginny sobbed quietly into his shoulder, "But I don't know what to do, I can't have you and I do love him, but all this is doing is hurting him and despite it all I can't seem to let you go,"

Unbeknownst to either the red head or the blonde a pair of dark eyes watched them and listened from behind and pillar. A single tear rolled down Lacey Jasmine Malfoy's cheek as her tattered soul was broken all over again.


	38. Spain Part 3 or Things Fall Apart

Soon after Lacey had dragged poor Seamus off to swim she remembered that her bathing suit was still in her bag near the door. She wasn't trying to be sneaky as she edged around the courtyard where Draco and Ginny were talking but sneaky she was all the same. She had every intent of just getting her suit and going back to the beach when their words traveled over to her. Whispered confessions of love and adoration. Her feet were suddenly weak beneath her and she fell against a nearby pillar. Breaths came and went in quick gasps as they pain in her chest spread out and took hold of her every limb.

The tears came soon after and as they streaked her face with salt she could feel her world spinning apart and away from her. He didn't love her at all. He never had and never would. The man she had loved since she was six years old would never love her back because he was in love with another girl. It seemed such a silly problem – the age old 'I love him he loves her' – but it was so much more than that. He was supposed to love her and be with her. They were promised to each other, married, and he had assured her time and time again that they would be happy. Then this.

Feet slipping out beneath her Lacey slid down the pillar and onto the ground in silence. Her tears made no noise and her breath was silenced by her fear of being found. How had she ever convinced herself that she could live like this? When had it become okay for her to sacrifice her life and happiness to fix her father's problems? Truth was that she couldn't remember anymore.

As Lacey mourned the loss of her love and her life a sort of numbness overtook her. It spread through her limbs and covered her soul with a protective, icy layer of determined strength. She did not need to stay where she was not happy or wanted. She could go her own way and leave behind a life that was sure to be agony. It would be the simplest thing; to just walk away.

xxx

Seamus was sitting down on the beach alone when he watched Lacey waltz down the wooden steps from the house in a huff and barrel towards him.

"Lacey, are you alright?" her angry eyes prompted him. At his question all emotion vanished from her face and she looked him in the eye,

"I'm perfectly fine, however, I have just left a note for Draco informing him that I will be returning to England in order to divorce him,"

"Why would you do that Lacey? I thought he was trying to make things work," Seamus stood up and stepped towards her,

"If making things work includes telling Ginny he's still in love with her then yes, he's trying to make things work," her pain returned as she spat the words out of her mouth as if each one of them was a flame on her tongue.

"He what?" Seamus yelped, looking quickly towards the house then back to the gorgeous girl in front of him,

"Oh yes, it was quite the heart to heart they had, very much still in love with each other, no regard for either of us, so yes I'm ending things and leaving and I very much suggest you do the same," she ended her words with pride before walking down the beach to the edge of the property where she could disapparate.

Seamus stood in shock as he watched her thin form trot away then vanish. He was numb and angry and hurt all at the same time. Maybe he never had stood a chance with Ginny; not while Malfoy was still in love with her. Maybe he's known it all along.

xxx

Ginny still sat on the garden bench with her head resting on Draco's warm shoulder. She had come to terms with her love for him. He was everything she needed, wanted, dreamed of, and desired. Did she live for him; no, she lived for herself but she loved him. As she sat there with him she felt it deep inside her core that she couldn't leave him ever again. She would do whatever needed to be done to stay by his side forever.

"Ginny,"

"Mmhmm,"

"Do you suppose Lacey will be very angry with me?" Draco whispered, his terror came to the surface as his voice filled with dread. Dread for the anger of his wife.

"I don't believe that Lacey is capable of anger, of spite and hurt, yes, but not anger, she's far too clever for that," Ginny looked up into his stormy grey eyes and for a moment was lost in them before his low voice stirred her into remembering the situation,

"What am I to do Ginny?" the arm around her shoulders tightened as he pulled her closer.

"Talk to her, I don't know what else you can do," her words seemed too cold and logical for the situation but her hardened heart was finally coming in useful.

"Should I talk to her now?" Draco's voice shook and he took a deep breath, "And what should I say,"

"The truth," Ginny said simply, "Tell her the truth, she deserves it". Draco nodded, more to himself that to Ginny, before standing up and reaching for her hand.

"You'll come with me?" he looked her in the eyes and all of the anger that Ginny had felt; all the pain and suffering vanished. She hadn't lost herself when he'd left her, but she had lost something of great value. She nodded and took his hand. Together they walked into the house with the intent of going to find Lacey on the beach with Seamus.

They didn't get that far.

Seamus sat in the kitchen with an envelope in his hands. He was gripping it so hard that the parchment had crumpled and his knuckles were white. His eyes flashed to the pairs clasped hands but he didn't seem surprised. Ginny closed her eyes and took a breath; she hadn't thought about Seamus, hadn't imagined that she would have to deal with him so soon.

"Don't worry about me Ginny," his voice surprised her with its coldness, "I guess I always knew this would happen,"

"Seamus I…" truly she had nothing to say; no reasoning for her action. For what she had done was senseless and stupid. She had hurt people on purpose and dragged people she loved down with her.

"You've hurt a lot of people Ginny," didn't she know it, "Hurt Terry, hurt your family, hurt me, and now Lacey," Draco's eyes flashed and Seamus looked at him, "She's gone Draco, left a nice little letter for you and everything,"

"She's gone?" there was no relief in Draco's eyes or voice only shock,

"Yep, I'll be leaving soon as well; I just wanted to make sure you got her note,"

"Seamus…" Ginny tried again,

"Just shut up Ginny, just shut up and leave me alone," he stood up, tossed the envelope on the counter and stormed out of the house with his trunk to disapparate.

"I deserved that," Ginny whispered to herself,

"No you didn't," Draco tried to sooth her as he ran his thumb in circles on her lower back,

"Yes I did and no denying it, I've been dreadful," there were no tears.

"Alright perhaps you have but no worse than I've been," He pulled her around to look at her properly, "I suppose in a terrible sort of way we deserve each other, both heinous to our friends and partners, both hurting too many people to end up with anyone expect each other," the ironic poetic-ness of his words finally made Ginny smile.

"I suppose we do," she agreed quietly before standing up on her tip-toes to do something she'd wanted to do ever since he left her. She kissed him softly at first but it didn't take long for the tenderness to turn to passion.

(A/N - My dears I am so sorry. I've been suffering from a cross between writers block and terror. My terror is due to a recent bout of insanity in which I firmly believed that one of my original characters – you do not know her – took over dictatorship in my head. That does not excuse me from not writing this story but all the same you deserve the truth.)


	39. Spain Part 4 or Things Fall Together

Draco and Ginny were sitting alone in the holiday house when Blaise and Lindy arrived – Jess having taken a long and lonely stroll down the beach.

"Hey Lindy," Ginny called out in a tired voice when she heard the rustle of many shopping bags being dumped unceremoniously upon the stone floor.

"Hey Ginny, how was your…oh" she stopped when she saw Draco, "Greetings creature from the pits of Tartarus, how fare thee?" her glare was so potent that Blaise stopped short without even looking Lindy in the face.

"Don't be that way Lindy," Ginny sighed, too tired to argue properly, "He is forgiven,"

"Oh yeah, and why is that Ginny, the married man managed to seduce you again? Hmmm?" her hands flung out dramatically as she spoke threatening to hit anyone within range. Luckily her wand was tucked neatly into one of her shopping bags.

"Lindy, may I have a chance to defend Ginny's honour in this matter?" his voice was formal as he asked for an opportunity to speak without being throttled.

"It's not her I'm particularly angry with right now Malfoy," she spat the words in his general direction while she began to rummage the shopping bags for her wand,

"To defend myself then?" he tried again,

"It won't do you any good Malfoy but go ahead, try and talk your way out of a Bat Bogey Curse," she swore impressively as she wand evaded her, "Summon my wand Blaise," she looked her fiancé in the face expecting him to bend to her anger. She had forgotten the brotherhood between Slytherins,

"Let him speak Lindy, and for Merlin's sake try and listen to the fellow," Blaise leaned casually against the wall; his own wand hidden safely within his crossed arms.

"Fine, the pathetic little lying, manipulating, _ferret _can have his say," She turned her glare back to the blonde and crossed her arms awaiting his many excuses.

"First I would like to thank you for being such a good friend to Ginny as to be so concerned for her welfare,"

"Get on with it," Lindy rolled her eyes in a shockingly Slytherin manner; given the situation.

"Secondly, I will tell you that Lacey is currently in London making plans to leave me and take half my fortune, and thirdly she is doing so because I am still in love with Ginny," he gave a quiet sigh as the end of his spiel and look to Ginny for approval. She nodded ever so slightly when she saw the mildly calmed look on Lindy's face.

"Ginny, where is Seamus?" Blaise piped up from his place in the shadows,

"He left," Ginny answered quietly, her voice was sad as she knew of all the pain she had caused.

"Oh well aren't you two just the happiest couple, hurt numerous people, including your current and past partners, best friends, parents, but hey no worries just so long as you can be together," she ranted,

"Lindy I don't understand why this hurts you so much," Ginny stood up a little from her chair but was forced back into it by the look on Lindy's face that dared anyone to approach,

"Because Ginny, time and time again I try to protect you, I do everything for you and you just ignore me, pretend that I don't matter, I'm sick and tired of watching you hurt yourself and not let me help," she had started off at a reasonable volume but her words gained power as she went along and by the end of one looked at the right angle they could almost make out the wetness in her eyes.

"Lindy, I do listen to you, all the time, you helped keep me together when I was falling apart, and I," she lost track of her thoughts when she noticed the tears in Lindy's eyes, "Lindy sweetheart," Ginny braved her anger and stood up to go and hug her oldest friend, "I never mean to upset you or ignore you, it's just that I can't help but love Draco, even when I know your right and that everything will probably end in treacherous disaster, and I know that I've hurt tons of people who love me, and that hurts me knowing that I've hurt them, but please Lindy, please forgive me," Ginny held Lindy close and let her sob into her shoulder,

"Alright alright, you're forgiven because I know you can't help yourself and you don't mean it, but Ginny you have to think of your future, not even like the far future, just the future where your brothers and parents find out," Lindy pushed Ginny away and held her at arm's length, "Let me help you with that, at the very least,"

"How can you possibly help with that Lindy?"

"Don't you dare underestimate me Ginny Weasley, nor the power of a nice dinner party with good company," she added slyly; back to her usual self.

xxx

With a week remaining on Easter Holidays the Gryffindor ladies decided to allow Draco to stay with them in order to let Lacey put her affairs in order. They supposed it would look bad; Draco staying at a summer home with the 'other woman' but it was better than having him tag along after Lacey. She wasn't going to be spiteful or vindictive; she just wanted to get away – presumably with enough of the Malfoy fortune to fix her families troubles.

"What are you thinking?" they were curled up together under a tree on the beach,

"I'm thinking that despite everything I'm glad to have you back," Ginny replied,

"Ah, just what I was thinking," she could hear his raised eyebrow and felt his chest heave with silent laughter at his own sarcasm,

"Alright then, what were you really thinking?" she tipped her head back to get a better look at him and felt her body turn to ooze at his beautiful face and wicked expression,

"I wondering if Finnigan got to see you in a bikini, and if he did, when do I get to?"

"Naughty thoughts again Draco?" She teased, elbowing him in the stomach,

"I can hardly deny it, but it is only fair," his tone was haughty,

"I suppose it would be fair," Ginny said with fake resignation, "To treat you exactly how I treated Seamus," she finished with mild venom,

"Only the good parts," Draco quipped, "I'll get you swimming one of these days,"

"I'm sure you will, Slytherin's are nothing if not dastardly and methodical, I'm sure you'll win over my mother with the same attitude," she squealed as he tickled her for her sarcasm.

"You will beg for mercy before the end!" he exclaimed pinning her to his body and tickling her furiously,

"I shall never surrender!" she squirmed and giggled, "I will escape the claws of this dragon and run into the ocean where the fire breather cannot tread!" her words came in short bursts between gasps for air,

"You cannot escape me young red-headed damsel," he pulled her a little closer and started kissing her neck along with the tickling, "For you shall not want to once I have seduced you," his voice was a delicate hiss in her ear,

"Oh well in that case…" she wriggled until they had come face to face, "Me thinks you might be a nicer dragon than I had expected," she kissed him quickly on the lips and he smiled,

"I have not been this happy in a long time," he whispered into her hair, "You make me happy Ginevra,"

"Then I pray you will re-think eating me," she teased,

"I'm being serious Ginny,"

"Alright, fine," she looked up into his stormy eyes, "It's just that I've been serious so often lately that I was really rather enjoying having some fun, but if you want the serious me," she put on a mildly dramatic pout then straightened her face, "You make me very happy Draco Malfoy, very very happy," she stroked her hand through his perfectly tousled hair and then smoothed it down again savouring the silky feel of it against her fingers.

"I will be even happier when I can tell people how much I love you," he leaned in and kissed her forehead, then her nose, and finally her mouth,

"You're right, Lindy is going to have to put on one fabulous dinner party,"

xxx

Chapter 39.5 – What Happened to Jessica – In case you were wondering.

She went swimming. Took a weirdly long walk down the beach and thought about Harry. Returned back after Lacey and Seamus had left and went up into her room to finish reading a book. Not that she hadn't noticed the recent events – she is rather sharp of sight and hearing – rather she hadn't felt them worthy of being mentioned. Jessica was too wound up in her own romance to continue putting any effort into Ginny's.

(A/N – I love reviews, I love new ideas, and I love my readers! 3)


	40. Spain Part 5 or Easter at an End

"Lacey wrote, she says she's dealt with The Prophet and paid them to keep this quiet, the Quibbler will write something but that doesn't matter, she's going back to Ethiopia to spend some time with her grandparents for the rest of her spring break," Draco announced during a lull in the breakfast conversation.

"Is she happy?" Ginny asked shyly, unsure of how to feel about her friend/boyfriends ex-wife.

"I think that someday she will be," Draco smiled at her and ate some more of Anna's famous French toast.

"Lovely," Lindy interrupted the moment with her brash voice, "now I was to start planning for my dinner party right away so everything is in motion when we get home," having finished her breakfast Lindy had begun sketching out a seating plan based on various personalities, rivalries, and relative hatred.

"Why do you think a dinner party is going to make everything better Lindy?" exasperated Ginny put her fork down and put her head in her hands.

"Because it's not just a dinner party and because I will implement several other things to go along with it, for instance, you Ginny could be writing to your parents and expressing how Draco had been nicer this year in a very subtle manner, Draco, your mother is already endeared to Ginny but perhaps try and get her to see the Weasley's in the same manner," all business and no logic was all Ginny could think,

"That's not going to work, my father hate's Lucius," she piped up,

"Yes well, he's in prison right now so make sure to mention that as well," she went back to her napkin sketch; Blaise rolled his eyes not daring to contradict her.

"Lindy I really don't know about this, if Ginny doesn't think it's going to work…" Draco let his tone speak for him,

"Shut up Ferret," Lindy snapped, "Never underestimate me, I want Ginny to be happy and Merlin knows that I'm going to make it happen, now write home and start telling your parents about your holidays and make sure to add something subtle, I'll read them over if you don't mind," Ginny got the feeling that Lindy would be reading the letter's ever if she and Draco did mind.

"It's worth a try," she mumbled before scurrying off to her room under the edgy glare of her determined friend; Draco quickly followed suit, terrified into submission for the first time in his entitled life

"You don't think you aren't being a little controlling?" Blaise asked quietly once the controversial pair had been banished,

"Blaise dear," Lindy began before smiling and leaning in to kiss her fiancé lightly on the mouth, "I am always controlling, but this is going to work, I promise".

Jessica sat staring at them quietly at the end of the table,

"Yeah she's right Blaise, get them all drunk and make them dance, Ginny will be Mrs. Ginny Malfoy before the summer ends," Jessica's sarcasm was mild but still biting. Lindy's glare had no effect on the girl. Staring each other down they began to laugh,

"You might all think I'm crazy but on the last evening of Easter holiday's the Malfoy's, the Zabini's, the Jack-Mason's, and the Weasley's are going to convene in one place, eat from the same table, and laugh at the same jokes without cursing each other".

xxx

Looking out her window at the ocean Ginny pulled out a sheet of fresh parchment and dipped her quill in the ink pot. Nothing came to her. It was an impossible task trying to endear Draco to her family. How could she have lied to her family for so long about something so big? It was ridiculous thinking about how to hint to her mother that she had secretly been dating her worst enemy since before Christmas. Finally her quill touched the paper,

_Dear Mom,_

_ I've been having a wonderful time here with Lindy. The weather is absolutely marvellous and the shopping is amazing. Lindy dragged me down to the shops the other day and insisted on paying for an entirely new wardrobe. Speaking of expensive things, Draco Malfoy dropped by with his wife the other day. He and Blaise are friends you see and the new Mrs. Malfoy is on good terms with Lindy. He was surprisingly respectful and nothing at all like I remember his father being or like Ron tells me he is. It was strange really; had he stayed for longer I almost could have been on speaking terms with him. _

_ I feel I must warn you that my dear Lindy is planning a dinner party with some of her closest friends and family. Whether or not this includes the Malfoy's and Zabini's I do not know; for now all I can tell you is that we are on the guest list. _

_ Mom I am so glad you let me go with Lindy to Spain. Truly I am having a wonderful time in the sun but I fear my freckles are going to take over my entire face,_

_ Love you and miss you,_

_ Ginny _

In another room Draco was having only slightly less trouble. His mother would be terribly disappointed in him for not treating Lacey as he should have. Maybe she didn't love the whole arranged marriage thing as much as some people did but still; he'd made a promise to her and to Lacey. It would be no good to lie to her or to hint at anything. He was going to have to be straight about everything that had happened so far.

_My Dearest Mother,_

_ There I things that I feel I must tell you and probably should have told you long ago. As you may have heard or been told, Lacey has decided to leave me; I must inform you that this is entirely my fault as I was not happy with the marriage and my heart belongs to another. You know her, Ginny Weasley, thougt her family does not know about us nor will they likely approve I hope that you can understand that she makes me very happy. Lindy Jack-Mason is in fact planning a dinner party to try and ease the tension between our families and I would truly appreciate it if you could try and come to an understanding with the Weasley's._

_ I am sorry that I have disappointed you in the matter of Lacey. Although she is a truly wonderful girl I could not bring myself to love her, however, I feel as if her family problems have been solved by her generously taking a large sum of our fortune. Please try and understand why I have done what I have done,_

_ With love and desperation,_

_ Draco _

xxx

There was nothing worse for Ginny than packing up her things and thinking about leaving Spain early the next morning. It was agonizing just imagining leaving the sun warmed beach and going back to the dreary rain of England. Draco felt much the same but when he mentioned it to Ginny all she could think of to say was,

"But you belong in the rain, it matches your eyes,"

"Ahh, so I assume that you belong in a giant pool of chocolate, as that matches your eyes," he teased lightly as they were taking one last stroll down the beach. It was dusk and the water was webbed with the shadows of the trees on the shoreline.

"Rain just suits you is all," Ginny defended herself, "Rain and storms and thunder, all those beautiful, dramatic things,"

"Beautiful, dramatic things suit you as well Ginny, the ocean, the sun, beaches, storms as well," Ginny remembered what he'd once said to her. Long before everything had gotten so complicated, _you're a force of nature and I'm caught in the storm. _He was so honest, so loving, and he was finally hers.

"Can we swim now?" she asked, taking a step towards the warm water,

"You need to ask permission?" his eyes gloated but he frowned,

"Not really, I just wanted to know of you want to swim," she teased him pulling her tank top over her head and revealing the string bikini underneath. In the brightening moonlight her pale skin shone with an otherworldly iridescence.

"Well if I didn't before I do now," his voice was wolfish and wicked making every nerve in Ginny's body tingle.

"Come and get me then,"

"Little red, little red," he half laughed, half sighed as he dashed across the sand to catch her pulling his shirt off as he went. Draco's muscular legs carried him quickly across the warm sand but Ginny had a head start and was waist high in salt water before Draco's toes were being licked by the surf.

"You'll never catch me dragon," she giggled, wading farther and farther away,

"Don't be so sure about that little red, you know you want to be caught," he grinned before taking one smooth dive into the water and vanishing under the surface.

Ginny looked around nervously. The coming dark hid the depths of the clear water; leaving her defenseless against Draco. A gentle finger tickled her angle then she felt his lips touch her calf and begin to work their way up her leg. She laughed aloud and twitched away watching his blonde head surface.

"Dreadfully sappy dragon, you aren't fierce at all are you?" she frowned at him and backed up,

"Not scared of me little red?" he took a step towards her, forcing her into deeper water where his height would be an advantage,

"Nope,"

"Big mistake," he grinned wickedly and moved quickly towards her. Ginny squeaked as his strong arms snatched her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Carrying her quickly into shallower water he dumped her carefully in the shallows and fell to his knees in front of her.

"Submit to this dragon young red head, or be eaten alive,"

"Oh, well both sound like so much fun," Ginny pretended to be deep in thought and was brought back to reality when Draco pushed her gently back so she was lying in the water. Suspending himself above her on his forearms Draco leaned in,

"Too slow little red, prepare to be devoured," his kiss did devour her. Make her weak and tingly all over. But fair's fair; she did the same to him.


	41. A Long Awaited Meeting

Mrs. Weasley frowned as she looked at her reflection in the stained mirror.

"Ginny dear," she called out nervously, "are you sure this is good enough?" her hands ran nervously down her considerable curves as she smoothed out the fabric. Ginny came into the room as she finished putting in an earring – a very old earring that had been a gift once upon a time,

"You look great Mum, now stop worrying and get Dad ready or else we'll be late and that would be far worse than being underdressed, Lindy would murder us all." Ginny herself was dressed in something Lindy has sent her that morning – transfigured sweaters had their charm as dresses but nothing Ginny could have made herself would have stood up to the scrutiny of Mrs. Malfoy's searching eyes. The dress was a soft black was an intricate burgundy pattern; highlighted with clever beads that gave off their own gentle light. Ginny had added to it the serpent necklace and earrings that Draco had given her for the Christmas ball that seemed so long ago.

Walking down the creaky burrow stairs Ginny overheard her father whispering,

"I just don't understand, of course I knew that Ginny was friends with Lindy but for the Malfoys and the Weasleys to be brought together like this, Lindy must be insane,"

"Stop it dear," Molly replied, "from what I understand Lindy simply wants all her friends to get along, prejudice aside, and that only seems fair to me, at least for one evening."

Ginny's feet froze as she waited for her parents to say more on the subject; trying to gauge their emotions so she could better prepare them for the evening but nothing more was said on the subject. Finally she descended that last few stairs into the kitchen where her mother's eyes quickly found the expensive jewels.

"Ginny dear," Molly almost winced as she noted the very Slytherin colours but Ginny interrupted before her mother could continue; she had planned out this moment very carefully,

"They were a gift," she tucked her loose hair behind her ears to show off the other jewels, "Mrs. Malfoy sent them to me this morning, she said they didn't suit her colouring and that she wanted me to have them, I think Lindy must have had a chat with her or something because she also said that I should wear them this evening and then keep them." Mr. Weasley gasped,

"But they must be worth a fortune, why in Merlin's name would Narcissa Malfoy send jewelry to you?"

"Perhaps she is trying to make amends for her husband's cruelty," this was a line carefully tailored by Lindy for this very moment. Mrs. Weasley seemed accepting of this even if her husband still looked sceptical,

"Well, yes, I suppose, yes we should just accept this gesture of kindness on her behalf and try to behave accordingly," Molly looked perfectly befuddled but also rather pleased; to her it was almost like watching a lioness give a gazelle a kiss and say that it wouldn't eat it that day. Sometimes miracles just had to be accepted.

"Alright, well I suppose we should go then," Ginny piped up after a moment of confused silence. Reaching into the pot by the fireplace she grabbed some floo powder, snatched her purse off the counter and floo powder powered it over to the Jack-Mason house.

Stepping out of the fire the first thing Ginny wanted to do was run into Draco's arms. It took all her strength to stay put and not wrap her arms and legs around him. His carefully raised brow and half smile told her that he wanted nothing less. She was forced to compose herself as her mother stepped out of the fire behind her and was instantly swept into Mrs. Jack-Mason's arms in a friendly hug – Yvette was not one to hold back. Molly, shocked at the instant display of affection was speechless as Arthur stepped out of the fire and shook Mr. Jack-Mason's hand.

Yvette released Molly and quickly took her arm and turned her towards the tall, cold blonde standing behind her son.

"Narcissa, darling come out of your hiding place and say hello," Yvette teased lightly, "Molly, she may look all cold and distant now but just wait until we get a glass of wine in her hand, then no woman is more sociable," Molly looked rather affronted but Narcissa just giggled in a rather childish manner,

"She's right your know, I suppose I just feel more comfortable with something in my hands, which is why one must never place a plate of chocolates in front of me, I shan't stop eating them just in order to stop my hands fidgeting" this made Molly smile slightly and then remember her manners,

"Oh, I must thank you before I forget, sending that necklace to Ginny truly wasn't necessary," beside her mother Ginny gagged slightly before looking Mrs. Malfoy in the eye and nodding slightly hoping that the society lady would play along; luck was on Ginny's side, no woman knew better how to keep a secret then Narcissa Malfoy.

"It was nothing Molly, it hardly suited me and I have no daughter of my own," Ginny relaxed notable as did the adult population.

Two sets of feet came suddenly down the stairs, one almost flying out of joy and the other plodding gently along. Lindy reached the bottom of the stairs like a hurricane and tossed herself into Ginny's arms.

"Gracious I haven't seen your pale face in forever," Lindy smiled brightly, her signature red lipstick glistening in the candlelight,

"Oh yes, yesterday morning is a long time ago," Ginny commented dryly.

"Hush you," Lindy giggled, "Blaise come be introduced, honestly I think you're the only one hear that people don't know, and for pities sake find your parents they went out to look at the garden and have failed to return on schedule"

"On schedule Lindy? Who's schedule? And what is it you want me to do first, be introduced or find my off-schedule parents" he stood halfway down the stairs looking completely debonair as he smirked at Lindy, silently mocking her controlling personality,

"My schedule of course and I would like for you to come and meet Ginny's parents, then go find your own, if you find that acceptable," Lindy's voice softened as Blaise nodded. The Weasley's had stood watching the couple with relative amusement and confusing, they being the only ones not aware of their status as engaged.

"Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, this is Blaise Zabini," Lindy smiled charmingly before adding, "my fiancé,"

"Goodness dear, engaged so soon!" was all Molly could muster. Narcissa smiled in a melancholy sort of manner before speaking,

"They have been engaged since birth Molly, Lindastaire could have stepped out of the agreement at any point in time but as you can see, she has chosen to honor her parents and her future husband," Molly's mouth created a small 'o' as she recognized the situation.

"Oh, well congratulations Lindy," Molly smiled before turning to look at Arthur who smiled blankly wondering what in Merlin's name they were doing there. Ginny noted their expressions and sighed to herself before looking up at Draco. His calm eyes and soft smile calmed her; being with him was the goal and anything was worth getting that.

Blaise returned to the room quietly followed by a tall black man with the darkness most observant eyes Ginny had ever seen. She knew just by looking at him that nothing escaped the notice of Mr. Zabini. His wife was a whole different story. Her dark hair sat in gentle waves down her back and her full lips smiled in such a manner that one instantly believed she was fond of kittens, and picnics in the spring.

Lindy dashed towards them and gave Mrs. Zabini a hug before dragging her over for the last of the introductions. Molly and Arthur greeted them with reserved smiles; knowing nothing much about the Zabini family.

"Well now that we are all introduced, why don't we all sit down and begin our dinner," Yvette Jack-Mason smiled, not truly knowing that she was merely a puppet to her daughters greater plan.

(A/N – I have no excuses for myself. No words I can say that could possibly convince any of you that I had good reason to abandon you for so long. I hope simply that I can be forgiven for my negligence. I love all of you dearly, those you have been with this story since it began and those of you who may hardly have noticed how long it's been since I updated it. I can promise now though that the next few chapters should come in quick succession.)

(P.S. reviews are like totally super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot things to receive)


	42. Table Talk

"Tried and tested," Lindy announced as she assisted Anna the house elf with bringing out the first course, "this recipe has withstood the criticism of the ages and has surfaced now for your enjoyment," her eyebrows moved around dramatically to suit her cheery voice. The small plates each had two oysters upon their porcelain faces and a drizzle of a creamy looking sauce. Lindy and Anna carefully levitated each plate to its respective person before pouring out a small sampling of wine that according to Anna was 'simply divine with the oysters'.

Ginny sat at the table awkwardly, unsure of where to look. Draco sat across from her, his smoky eyes constantly playing with her heartstrings. However, beside Draco sat Mrs. Zabini and Ginny wanted nothing less than to arouse her suspicions regarding her relationship with Draco. To her right, Lindy subtly indicated which fork she should use and Ginny spent the rest of the first course in silence; listening to the hesitant conversation that the parents were beginning – something about the weathermen at the ministry decreasing work productivity by constantly making it look extremely nice outside.

The courses were endless. Every twenty minutes or so Lindy would get up and announce that the next course would be arriving; after the oysters came: barley soup, pouched salmon with cucumbers, filet mignon with vegetables, lamb, duck, a roman punch, watercress, foie grass pate, and lastly an elegant dessert compiled of chocolate mousse, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and copious amounts of what appeared to be a dark chocolate and raspberry coulis. Ginny stared at the dessert for a moment, unable to believe that something could look more delicious than the desserts served at a Hogwarts feast. Lindy smiled at her kindly, gently tapping two fingers under her own chin to tell Ginny to close her mouth and stop drooling. Ginny grinned slyly and dug into her dessert; looking evilly at Lindy before licking her spoon in a most impolite manner. Aghast, Lindy stomped on Ginny's foot under the table before returning to her own dessert.

"So, Draco," Mrs. Zabini's voice permeated the air like a summer perfume, "I heard that you and Lacey have called it all off, and so soon after the wedding, tell me darling, what went wrong?" she smiled gently, as if unaware that her quiet question had caught the attention of the table,

"Umm, that is an excellent question Mrs. Zabini," Ginny froze; she had never heard Draco say 'umm' before. Then she absorbed the question; this was it. This was the moment when Draco could confess everything to both of their families and it would either go well, or the earth would implode with the wrath of Mrs. Weasley.

"Lacey, well, Lacey realized at some point that I was never in love with her, and never could be, despite how much I tried to make it work, and she decided that it would be better for both of us if she left," Draco cautiously bit his lip and looked to his mother for approval. Narcissa nodded calmly,

"Perhaps that is simply what comes of getting married too soon," Mr. Weasley interjected, "You children barely know who you want to be and yet you are already prepared to get married," he looked pointedly at Blaise and Lindy, "How can you know if you are going to love someone forever if you don't even know yourself?"

Blaise frowned slightly but Lindy spoke up for the both of them,

"It isn't always about knowing that you are going to love each other forever, sometimes it can be about knowing that you will always be there for each other and try your very best to be understanding and loving because sometimes the only thing you really have is each other," she tipped her head a little, giving herself the look of an innocent puppy that you dared not contradict. Lindy wished there was another dish that she could go and retrieve to get herself out from under the eyes of adults who could never truly understand her situation. Instead she looked pleadingly at Blaise, begging for his support before Mr. Weasley could retort.

"I agree, Lindy and I are committed to staying together, no matter what happens, when we get married we will make the promise to be together always, so that at the end of the day when we come home, we will never be alone and we know that in each other is a best friend and a lover, someone who completely understands us, for better or for worse," He looked shyly over at Lindy, who blinked slowly and gave him a tender smile. Mr. Weasley seemed shocked by their level of understanding and their lack of claims to eternal love.

"Did not Draco and this Lacey girl believe the same thing?" He asked sceptically,

"Lacey is not like Lindy, she cannot be happy knowing that she is not loved, while one day Lindy may wake up and realize that Blaise is no longer in love with her, she is a rare kind of girl to whom it won't matter because she will still know that Blaise will stay by her side, but Lacey was not content with mere commitment," this time Draco spoke clearly and with more strength in his velvety voice. Ginny tucked her bottom lip under her teeth, was her father right? What if she managed to stay with Draco because she loved him but one day he didn't love her? But what if he stayed anyway, just because he had promised to? Could she live with that? Knowing that he come from a line of people that was content with commitment without love?

Then he looked at her, his silver eyes burned into her chocolate ones and in that moments stare he seemed to make a promise. If he ever stopped loving her, he would leave. The panic faded from Ginny as she realized that no matter what happened in the next few years she wasn't ready to commit to marriage, she and Draco had all the time in the world to figure things out.

Mr. Zabini leaned over and engaged Mr. Weasley in a conversation that sounded blandly like business. Narcissa smoothly lured Molly and Mrs. Zabini is a light discussion about how quickly their children were growing up; leaving the children themselves to sip on small glasses of wine and looked nervously at one another knowing that their parents were entirely unaware of their strong friendships and in the case of Ginny and Draco, their relationship.

(A/N – this is a very short chapter I know, sorry about that. I would love to hear more reviews from y'all, the more feedback I receive that better I can make this story)


	43. The Cat's Out of the Bag

"Ginny darling," Mrs. Zabini's gentle voice whispered out into the dim air of Ginny's hiding spot. Dinner was over and Ginny was avoiding the snarling voice of reason that told her to share her secret while her parents where on better terms with Narcissa. Ginny lifted her eyes from their watch over the stone floor to look at Mrs. Zabini.

"Yes," she felt her voice echo dimly down the hall,

"You are upset, most clearly, and avoiding your friends. Now, tell me this isn't something to do with young Draco," and that was it. Her voice was piercing, strong, and intelligent. She knew.

"How did you know?" Ginny peered down the hall, watching for approaching shadows.

"The way you look at him, how he glances at you, your expression when I asked after Lacey, you have a very expressive face my dear. Your parents would not see it; they do not wish to," she seemed to be attempting reassurance, "How long has this been carrying on in secret?" Mrs. Zabini reached out and placed a hand on Ginny's shaking shoulder. Fear was nestled in Ginny's heart, _they know, they know, they know. _Now she was going to have to deal with the consequences.

"I don't really know," once she began the words seemed desperate to be out of her mouth, "It sort of started at the beginning of the year, but nothing really happened until Christmas, and then it was over, and now it isn't, and I've hurt so many people, I never wanted to hurt people," a ragged breath forced itself into her lungs, "And he drove Lacey away, he was cruel to her, and she was so sweet, and I…I…I just want her to be happy, and I want to be happy, but my parents…" her voice paled as Mrs. Zabini pulled her close and patted her back tenderly,

"Your parents, you fear that they will never approve? Even after this evening, when they have seen how lovely Narcissa really is, how different from her husband?"

"I don't think they will ever approve, they hate him, Ron hates him, the twins hate him, everyone hates him, and I can't help but love him," salty tears raced down her cheeks before Ginny could brush them away.

"Ginny darling, if you really love him, you will find a way to convince your parents that he is worthy of you, that he isn't his father. Now come dear, dry your tears, there is no time like the present," Mrs. Zabini straightened her posture and rested her hands on Ginny's shoulders, "You speak to them like you have just spoken to me, and they will come around, and if not, Lindy will cool it all over with food, or sweet-talk, or whatever magic she has in that arena,"

Ginny balked at the suggestion but was guided forward nonetheless by the older woman's strong hands.

"You'll see little bird, everything will be alright,"

"I can't help but think that even Lindy won't be able to fix this," Ginny whimpered.

They entered the sitting room where everyone else was seated. Lindy looked up with a smile that faded when she saw the tear tracks on Ginny's face.

"Sweetie?" Lindy tipped her head to the side and reached towards Blaise – her constant support.

"Ginny child, what's the matter?" Mrs. Weasley started to stand but Mrs. Zabini motioned her back into her seat,

"Nothing is the matter, Molly. In fact, something is finally right in the world. An age old prejudice coming to an end, look at us here; Zabini's, Malfoy's, and Weasley's, all sitting together in civilized, friendly company," Ginny admired the woman's lead up, but feared what was to come. She looked at Draco, eyes wide with fear and suddenly he understood,

"Indeed," Draco spoke out, his voice strong and fierce, "But this prejudice was ended long before tonight, this prejudice ended the day I asked Ginny to join me for a drink, and we chatted about candy and Quidditch. This prejudice ended the day I looked at a Weasley and wanted to be beside her, instead of jinxing her. This prejudice ended when she reached for my hand instead of for her wand. This prejudice ended when I looked at your daughter, Mrs. Weasley, and told her that I loved her and she looked me in the eye while all I could do was pray that she loved me also," Ginny closed her eyes, not daring to look at her mother. Draco stood, his presence was an intimidating one in a room full of seated, gone to seed parents.

Walking over to Ginny's side, Draco reached for her hand. Ginny, sensing his presence; opened her eyes and gave him her hand with a small, shy smile. Her damp eyes darted over to Lindy, who nodded, and then to her mother. Molly sat, pale as death in her shock.

"You foul, loathsome little creature, if you think you are ever going to lay a hand on my daughter…" Mr. Weasley stood in his anger and pointed his wand at Draco, "You will not touch her, and you will not speak to her again, is that understood young man?"

"No," Draco replied calmly, "Weren't you listening to me, this isn't about a disgusting Malfoy touching your pretty little daughter, this is about how I feel about her and how she feels about me, this is about hours spent in the library studying and talking, about playing Quidditch together, about having fought and made up, and most of all, about how terrified she is, standing here, knowing that her fears of telling you have just been proven to be fair. Don't you realize that she's more scared of you than she is of me?"

"Ginny!" Arthur Weasley turned to his daughter, "what is the meaning of this?" he stammered,

"You are being ridiculous, and offensive," Narcissa chirped from where she calmly sat, "My child is perfectly fit to be with yours, he is not his father you know!"

"I didn't ask you, Malfoy!" Arthur spat, "Now, Ginny," he looked pointedly at her, "Tell me everything,"

Ginny cowered behind Draco, trying to stop a new river of tears from escaping,

"He already told you everything Dad, there is nothing more to say, I hated him once, but I can't even imagine that now, he isn't the person you think he is, he is kind, and caring, and I know you don't believe me but he is honest and strong, he cares about me Dad, can't you see that?"

"Yeah, why is it that he is defending her from you, instead of the other way around?" Lindy piped up, "If Draco was so loathsome he would just leave her to your anger, but instead there he stands, ready to take the brunt of it". Lindy stood and walked over, placing herself between Ginny and Mr. Weasley, "I've seen them together, and they are perfect, they know what they want, and what they want is to be able to be together without fear," she motioned for Blaise to join her,

"I agree," Blaise's voice was deep and strong, "I didn't like her at first, but then I watched them, watched my best friend being transformed from a pompous git into a man who was willing to give everything for someone he used to despise,"

"Daddy," Ginny whispered from behind the wall of her friends, "Daddy listen to them and listen to me, please just listen to me, I love Draco, I really do. Will I love him forever? Merlin knows, but right now and for as long as I love him, please stand by my side not ready to curse him into the ground," Ginny peered past her father, "Mum, hate isn't something you taught me, you taught me to protect myself against the evils of this world, but Draco isn't one of those evils, he's not his father".

Mrs. Weasley finally unfroze and looked up at her only Daughter, "Okay," she whispered, "okay".


	44. A New Day

Ginny felt the train start to move beneath her. Molly and Arthur stood on the platform waving cheerily. A little ways a way Narcissa blew her son a kiss and the elegant Zabini couple glanced nervously between the redheads and the blonde. Ginny sighed and turned her head into Draco's chest. She couldn't get over it; they were sitting on the train together, a public couple. Sure, people stared and gave them all sorts of weird looks, but so far it had gone better than Ginny could have hoped.

"You alright Red?" his voice, whispering softly, still melted her.

"I'm fine, I actually can't believe that we are finally doing this," she looked up and him and smiled softly; the edged of her lips only just curling up.

"It feels right," Draco gave her a gently peck on the lips. A pair of eyes grew wide outside their compartment and Ginny giggled, Colin Creevey would finally have to surrender his crush on her. Colin was abruptly shoved out the way by a storm of frizzy hair dragging a terrified Lindy.

"Ginevra!" Hermione was the only person Ginny knew – aside from her mother – who could convey the idea of screaming while actually whispering, "Lindy here was just saying that…" her words broke off as she noticed Draco's presence, "oh, well then," she dropped Lindy's arm and plonked down on the seat across from Ginny and Draco.

Lindy sat down beside Hermione and started rubbing her wrist where Hermione had held her in a vice grip.

"Has Lindy been telling you that I was sitting in a compartment alone with Draco Malfoy?" Ginny allowed the humor in her voice to be heard, now was a time for mending the hurts she had caused, not provoking more.

"Well yes, only I thought she was lying because you two broke it off, evidently I have been proven wrong,"

"Say that again," Ginny smiled devilishly, "the sound of those words for your mouth Hermione, it's just amazing". Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny and admitted again that she had been wrong. Draco took Ginny's hand and placed their clasped hands on his leg, letting Hermione glare as he gloated.

Shortly after the little scene had died down Blaise sauntered into the compartment and took his place next to Lindy and whispered something her ear that made her giggle.

"What is it you two, there are no secret jokes here," Draco reached out to kick Blaise lightly, Blaise glared at his friend before giving Lindy a chaste kiss on her porcelain cheek.

"Luna Lovegood is hanging out copies of the Quibbler claiming that they have an article about Draco Malfoy's latest paramour, not that you are his whore Ginny, but here," he pulled a copy of the dreadful rag out of his robe pocket and handed it over. On the front cover was an oversized picture of Draco glancing guiltily over his shoulder again and again. A bold font was plastered across his head: DRACO MALFOY: RECENTLY DIVORCED, NEW IN LOVE, AND STILL IN SCHOOL.

"Well, at least they got a good picture," Ginny couldn't help but giggle, not only was their relationship newly revealed to friends and family but it was soon to be in the public eye. Draco skimmed through the magazine until he reached the center page that boasted a photo from Draco and Lacey's wedding, another of him standing with his mother, then at least a dozen photos each of two beautiful, eligible witches, and it almost could have gone unnoticed if not for the gleaming red hair; one last picture of Ginny taken on the night of the Christmas party.

Hermione promptly snatched the magazine from Draco's hands and began to real aloud in order to assess the damage,

"The infamous Draco Malfoy, recently married and even more recently divorced, has been rumoured to be in love again. His young bride, Miss Lacey Jasmine Carter, has fled the county and has been reported to be living in Ethiopia with her grandmother. Did Draco do this? Did he drive his beautiful bride away from himself and then away from her friends and family? Could the young man really be as sadistic as his father? Perhaps he is, OR has he just finally found the woman he was meant to be with?

Let us look over our options for this pure-blooded, pale-headed, Slytherin: he holds a natural connection with Lindy Jack-Mason, but then, why hide? Could it be the Durmstrang heartthrob, Jennica Admiral? The Beauxbatons beauty, Alexis Dreier? We think not. While both stunning and wealthy they hold no heart for secrecy. We at the Quibbler believe that they young Draco has fallen in love a little closer to home."

Hermione paused for a while, her eyes dashing back and forth. A heavy frown line formed between her brows before she continued.

"The young, penniless, yet flirtatious Ginevra Weasley! Could she be the girl who has stolen Draco Malfoy's heart? We think so. Rumoured to have many beaux, be a talented Quidditch player, a clever jinxer, Harry Potter himself half in love with her! Generally kept out of the public eye by her lack of affluence Ginny Weasley was, however, caught in the act of dancing with the young Mr. Malfoy at a well-attended Christmas Ball. This is a couple that we at the Quibbler will be a keeping a sharp eye on, beautiful and dangerous, do we have society's next sweethearts within reach? Or just another couple of broken hearts?"

Hermione looked up at Ginny, a stern look on her face. Ginny tried to remain serious but she couldn't maintain it, a smile broke out along with a fit of giggles. Draco grinned beside her,

"It's not as bad as it looks Hermione," he used her first name kindly, "For the most part it was in a positive light, they may hate me, but they love her," he looked at the chuckling Ginny with a bemused expression, "Hogwarts is enclosed, people will have some time to get used to the idea before more recent pictures reach The Prophet".

"I have the most fantastic idea!" Lindy blurted, "We openly come out into society, like the newspapers, together, announce mine and Blaise's marriage at the same time you publicly declare your relationship! If something goes array with you two, not that it will, then those leaches will have something else to focus on, and besides, we can do a couples photo shoot, oooo, and we can go on double dates with everybody watching, and we can make Ginny all extra beautiful, and and and…" Lindy drifted off, formalizing her plans in silence.

_Couples photo shoot? _Lindy's words slipped though Ginny's mind like a fever. If she stayed with Draco was her entire life going to be watched and judged by people she didn't even know? Blaise saw the worry on her face and sighed. He pulled Lindy closer and prepared to speak more words allowed than he had all year,

"Ginny sweetheart, calm your fears, living in the public eye is not as you are dreading now," he smiled brightly, "Yes, some things that you would prefer to have kept private will be announced, but the people will adore you, you are an extremely popular and singularly talented girl, when there is joy in your life the public will rejoice with you, when there is sorrow their tears will join with yours. Think about it Ginny, how would it have been any different with Harry?" the last was a jape the made Hermione snort with derision.

Draco peered down at his beloved Red with fear; after they had finally pulled themselves out of disaster would she get cold feet? Ginny smiled brightly at her companions,

"It's just something that I'm going to have to get used to I suppose," She tipped her head back and pulled Draco down to meet her in a sound kiss. Hermione turned red and looked away but Lindy and Blaise just smiled and reached for each other.

The remained of the train ride passed in relative peace with the exception of the occasional visitor bursting into their compartment to stare blankly at Ginny and Draco before cursing loudly about losing a bet. The real drama began as the thestral drawn carriages pulled away from Hogsmeade station and it was impossible to miss the closeness between the angelical blonde head and the devilishly red one. Michael Corner cursed loudly, Dean Thomas glared with silent hatred and hurt, it was Pansy Parkinson who began the show with a screeching noise that was possible the least pug-like she had ever sounded.

Together Ginny and Draco walked up the steps into the entrance hall. Ginny stopped to hug Natalie and Jessica who had finally found her. They congratulated her on convincing her parents to accept Draco and peppered her with advice. Draco was waiting for her by the giant doors to the Great Hall, Ginny walked back towards him but the last few step she couldn't contain her joy anymore and she ran into his arms. Draco scooped her up off the floor and playfully spun her around. Ginny's legs wrapped around his waist and she could feel herself drawing closer and closer to Draco until she was passionately kissing him with the entire student body watching them. Pansy shrieked, but Terry Boot gave a half smile and wolf whistled.


	45. Flowers, Shoes, and Something Different

Ginny pulled in a deep breath and reached her arms up above her head to stretch out her shoulders. That mornings Quidditch practice had been grueling; a find cold misted lodging itself in her lungs with every breath, and icing over the quaffle. She was just starting to regain feeling in her fingertips as she took her seat in the Great Hall between Lindy and Jess. The savoury smell of Sunday breakfast wafted towards her and Ginny began shoveling food onto her plate at such a rate that even Ron gave her one off glance.

"Sweetie, are you feeling okay?" Lindy placed a hand on Ginny's arm to momentary stop her from stuffing an over-filled fork into her already full mouth. Ginny awoke from her frozen Quidditch state and put the fork down; carefully chewed and swallowed her mouthful and turned to Lindy,

"Tough practice," Ginny suggested with a shrug before taking a more rationally sized bite. A wave of silence washed over the Hall as Ginny was chewing; she took a swig of pumpkin juice and turned to see what everyone was looking at. Draco had just sauntered into the room carrying a single, white rose. He ignored the penetrating glares and walked smoothly over to the Gryffindor table with the faintest of smiles tickling at his pale lips. Murmurs shot through the silence and Ginny grimaced as she picked out words like 'sick', 'wrong', and from Pansy 'love potion'. Draco steadily ignored them all as he neared Ginny and reached out his hand to her; even the staff table had gone silent – Dumbledore was the only one among them with a smile on his wrinkled face.

Draco placed his hand on the small of Ginny's back. She looked up at him and saw the joy glowing in his silver eyes. Draco positioned the rose beside her plate leaned down to give her a quiet kiss,

"Good morning," he cooed and Ginny could no longer contain her laughter; the drama in the hall was too much for her to handle. She bit her knuckles and giggled before jumping out of her seat and wrapping her still-cold arms around her boyfriend. She felt his muscular chest rise and fall with laughter as half the Gryffindor table sneered.

Lindy peered around to gauge the reactions of her peers before announcing,

"Well, I always thought they looked good together, didn't you?" Blaise laughed and lifted his morning glass of pumpkin juice,

"Touché, to changing times!" he laughed as Lindy, Jess, Natalie, Seamus, Terry, and Luna raised there glasses as well and echoed his toast. They promptly started talking amongst themselves again and soon after the rest of the hall followed suit; leaving Ginny and Draco in relative peace.

"Do you think they'll ever get used to this?" she said nervously, Draco stroked her hair from the top of her head down to the small of her back,

"They're going to have to." He grinned and leaned down to kiss her again before joining Blaise for breakfast. Ginny shivered with both joy and from that morning's frost. She looked around the hall and a soft pleasure dawned on her as she realized that most everyone had already gone back to their typical breakfast conversations and only a few were still glaring between her and Draco. Harry had put his arm around Jess, Terry grinned down at Luna, and from across the Hall Blaise winked happily at his fiancé.

A parliament of owls flocked into the hall and officially ended the Ginny/Draco talk. Esme and Melody both landed in front of Ginny and she couldn't help but offer both of her owls a strip of bacon and a sip of juice before the delivered their mail. Melody was holding a letter from home; her mother had found a copy of the latest Quibbler and was wondering how Ginny was dealing with it. Esme tottered around on one leg; a package was tied to the other. Untying it Ginny recognized the elegant writing on the box; Narcissa. Pulling off the neat, brown paper Ginny saw a letter resting atop what appeared to be a corsage. She reached for the letter first, and was glad if it,

"Ginny,

I have petitioned Dumbledore to host another dance at Hogwarts and allow a single photographer of my choice into the building. The public is dying for news from inside Hogwarts and this is the only way I can think to present the leeches with something safely before they try and take measures into their own hands. When the day of the dance arrives, touch the flowers; I'm sure you know what happens,

With affection

Narcissa Malfoy"

"So that's where Draco learned the flower petal trick," Lindy hummed, she was craning her neck to read the letter over Ginny's shoulder.

xxxx

Ginny soon learnt that time flies at irrational paces when you're both looking forward to a dance and terrified of photographers being there. She felt that Charms class had hardly taken a minute but Transfiguration dragged on for at least a week. Hermione was making most of the arrangements for the Dance; selecting colour schemes, charming tea lights to float in mason jars, and wrapping twinkling lights around all the trees in every courtyard. The entire castle was going to shimmer with candlelight and wildflowers.

"It's going to be a real Spring Fling," Hermione had announced last week, "no ball gowns, just cocktail dresses, light desserts and dancing it'll be more pretty than elegant." Later she had admitted to Ginny that she wanted all the old, gossipy ladies to see Ginny as a young girl in love instead of the woman who had stolen Draco away from Lacey.

"You can't look overly sexy Ginny, or they'll paint you as a harlot," Hermione had chattered quickly and patted Ginny on the head before scurrying off to help a second year spell the lights properly.

xxxx

"Look Ginny," Lindy huffed as she applied her eyeliner, "There is hardly two weeks before school is officially over, then Blaise and I are going to announce our engagement and you and Draco and give a statement to the press if you want to, tonight just think about the dance, it's only one photographer whose job is to make you and Draco look good, stop worrying about it." Jess nodded pliantly in agreement as she braided most of Ginny's hair over her shoulder and left the rest to curl down her cheeks.

Natalie hummed cheerily to herself as she picked up the box that Narcissa had sent over and held it out to Ginny,

"I can't do your makeup until I know what colour the dress is, can you please?" Natalie pursed her lips impatiently until Ginny reached out and touched the corsage. The dress that fell out of the open box was a soft blue with lace turquoise accents. Natalie resumed her humming, apparently pleased.

"There should be shoes as well," Lindy chimed; now using a soft blush to 'girlify' herself. Ginny should have known that Lindy and Narcissa where in cahoots. Natalie squinted up at Lindy with a grin before tipping a pair of matching turquoise lace flats onto her bed.

"Can you do her makeup now? I'm finished with her hair." Jess put one last spell on Ginny's hair to ensure that it stayed in place all night before surrendering her to Natalie and her endless makeup pallet.

"I think we'll go with the soft gold again, but not too much," chirped Natalie before dabbing a primer onto Ginny's eyelids.

"Okay, how do I look?" Lindy stepped out of the bathroom in a spring green, single strapped dress that cinched in under embroidered bodice and flowed out from there. A purple ribbon neatly divided the front of the dress and her makeup was done in a spread of neutrals.

"Awwww Lindy, you look so…" Jess paused for effect, "Innocent!" she burst out giggling as Lindy stuck her tongue out at her.

"That's the idea Merlin," Lindy chuckled as the door to their dormitory was thrown open and a damp-eyed Hermione tossed herself into the room.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Ginny gently pushed Natalie away and stepped over to where her friend had promptly sat herself down.

"This is going to sound so stupid!" Hermione wailed, "It's just that, I don't have anything to wear, nothing at all, and I can't think of anything nice to transfigure something into, and this is going to be the last dance I'll ever have at Hogwarts and after that I don't know how long it's going to be before I see Ron again, and I just want…" she trailed off with a whimper and raised her eyes to Ginny who smiled gently.

"Well, I think you ran into the right room Hermione," Ginny said softly before gesturing around the circular room; every inch of space was littered with rejected dresses, scarves, shoes, skirts, and various other items of every colour.


	46. In The End

It didn't take long to make Hermione into a living version of Belle from Beauty and the Beast – even though she was the only one in the room who actually knew who that was. Hair smoothed into gentle curls by Natalie, followed by a smooth neutral palette to highlight her eyes and a sunshine yellow dress. She looked like candlelight.

"Oh, Merlin's pants, I really didn't think was possible, but…" Hermione gave a twirl in front of the mirror, movement made easy by the creamy flats she was wearing.

"Honestly, I'm just surprised you didn't come begging to us earlier," Lindy dabbed at her lip gloss, "We've known for ages how you feel about Ron, and quite frankly you've always needed a little bit of help in the clothing department,"

"Okay, ouch, but thank you all the same," Hermione frowned a little before smiling at the younger girls crowding around her.

Ginny rubbed her palms together. This was it, one last dance, one last bit of school and then Draco would be out in the real world, without her.

"Stop it Ginny," Jess quipped, her Gryffindor gold dress made the girl sparkle, "This is not the last dance you are ever going to have with Draco, so pull yourself together, there is going to be a camera," Jess once again smoothed down the front of her skirt, perhaps the camera could catch a glimpse of her and Harry as well.

"Okay, okay are we all ready?" Natalie looked utterly electric in a pink and blue paisley number. The group nodded, carefully dabbing the beginnings of tears from their eyes before stepping out onto the stone staircase and down into the common room.

Ron's smile was as shocked as it was happy when he saw Hermione all dolled up, but nothing could rival the glee that Harry and Jessica shared. Lindy shook her head at the enthusiastic couple and offered her arm to Ginny. The pair took a deep breath before descending into the main body of the castle where their respective dates were waiting with bated breath. Ginny's smiled twitched nervously when she saw the photographer but she relaxed when she noted Draco standing by the doors looking utterly debonair in black pants and a relaxed button down shirt, again, black. As long as it was him waiting for her, then it didn't matter how many cameras were pointed in their direction.

Lindy took the last few steps with a skip and landed promptly in front of Blaise, who grinned down at this betrothed with a wolfish expression. Ginny couldn't bring herself to be so brazen. She walked calmly to Draco, taking a deep breath in with every step. Her gentleman reached out to take her hand and gave it a gentle kiss before linking their arms together and stepping towards the glittering hall.

"Nervous?" Draco looked down at Ginny, concern in his stormy eyes,

"Not so long as you stay beside me," she squeezed him arm and smiled up at him, her perfect fallen angel.

The camera shutter clicked rapidly as the night moved on. Adding its own dramatic beat to the soft glow of the candles. Ginny leant her head onto Draco's shoulder and let him sway her gentle back and forth. From the corner of her eye she could see Hermione similarly leaning into Ron's chest and Jess smiling brightly at Harry as he told her something that made her tip her head back in laughter. It would have been utterly perfect had Adam been there for Natalie.

Ginny felt the flash blind her for a moment and she turned into Draco's chest to hide her eyes.

"We'll get past this, won't we?"

"Get past what, Red," Draco placed his hands and her cheeks and tipped her head back so that he could look at her properly.

"This next year, being apart, I don't know, just stuff," she squirmed uncomfortably, now wondering how she could have been so stupid as to bring up her doubts again,

"We will survive this little Red,"

"Yeah, Ginny, stop being such a worry wart," Blaise's laughing voice floated over to the pair as he elegantly twirled Lindy, Lindy laughed cheerily as she landed once more in her fiancés arms and looked over to the newly made, public couple.

"This is nothing more, or less, than the way it is supposed to be Ginevra Weasley, you are just unwilling to see it, Blaise and I are happy, Jess and Harry are happy, Hermione and Ron are finally happy! And Natalie is over the moon for Adam, who dotes upon her endlessly, perhaps you and Draco have had a bumpier road than most but it's all in the open now, you can finally just be, happy!" Blaise nodded his head with an amused look at his girl's dramatic edge before spinning her off to a more secluded corner.

"She's right, you know," Draco stroked a pale finger down Ginny's cheek, "We've destroyed many a heart to get to this point, now we are just supposed to enjoy it," the blonde Slytherin didn't wait for his beloved Gryffindor to respond before he leant down and pressed his lips against hers. Their kiss moved slowly. Ginny's arms wrapped around his neck and Draco spun her around, their bodies never once loosing contact. The kiss sunk deep into Ginny's stomach like a hot drink on a cold day. It stirred her soul and made her finally see that all the broken pieces of her heart had finally drifted back together.

(A/N – I'm so sorry that I left this for so long, I knew how to finish it I just never got around to it, and I know that this is going to be to too short an ending for some of you, too sudden, but it's the way it has to be, in the end they just deserved each other, and final reviews would be so much appreciated, you've been a fantastic audience, Much Love ~ KitKat)


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